


The Potterer

by Prince_of_Pharaohs



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alpha Tom Riddle, Alpha Voldemort (Harry Potter), Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Attempt at Humor, Attempted Sexual Assault, Child Death, Date Rape Drug/Roofies, Death in Childbirth, Fluff, Historical Inaccuracy, Implied Sexual Content, M/M, Mpreg, Omega Harry Potter, Past Lives, Protective Tom Riddle, Reincarnation, Renaissance Era, Temporary Character Death, Tom curses a lot when angry, You won't be getting smut from me, artist voldemort, cause i suck, not between tomarry cause we're not about that life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-07
Updated: 2020-07-19
Packaged: 2021-03-03 18:41:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 41,125
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24580219
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Prince_of_Pharaohs/pseuds/Prince_of_Pharaohs
Summary: Voldemort was one of the most famous and earliest artists from the Renaissance Era and arguably the most famous English one. He painted, sculpted countless statues for the public, royalty, and nobles alike.His most famous painting wasn’t a commission nor a piece that he had planned to make money off. It went under the name “The Potterer”, presumably the last painting (and the best work) of Voldemort.Tom Riddle, Voldemort’s last living descendant was given the responsibility to take care of the expensive paintings.AndHarry Potter… Well, Harry didn’t know why everyone kept mistaking him for the person in the painting. What was so special about it anyway? It was just a portrait of someone!
Relationships: Harry Potter/Tom Riddle, Harry Potter/Tom Riddle | Voldemort, Harry Potter/Voldemort
Comments: 98
Kudos: 1161





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This was supposed to be non-traditional ABO, which was why heats were rarely mentioned. I retracted it because what’s the point? The fic is already very much like traditional ABO without heats/ruts. I guess the only non traditional thing here is that Female Alphas in my omegaverse can’t get pregnant. 
> 
> This fic was mainly going to be a one shot but it got too long, supposed to have at max 5k words but the word count is now 40k. Yeah… it got out of hand.
> 
> This is finished, it just needs editing and polishing. Update once a week.
> 
> The image embedded in this chapter isn't actually the Potterer Painting, it's the closest I could find (thanks to the comments). It's from the movie Ghost, the infamous pottery scene, with a fuck ton of filter on it.

**The Potterer**

ca. 15th century

_“What are you drawing?”_

_“You.”_

_“Really? Show me.”_

* * *

Voldemort was a famous renaissance artist, not only was he a painter but also a sculptor. He has painted many masterpieces that have been auctioned off again and again with the prices increasing every auction it joined. However, not only was he famous for his art, but he was also famous for his ability to paint without needing references, which popularized something called “freestyle”. 

He was also one of the only artists in his time that held some form of a dislike of the catholic church and faith. It wasn’t obvious but once you look at some of his later paintings. The paintings depicted something that specifically ridiculed Christianity and people’s faith in their ‘God’. Even to the paintings, he had done for the church. One perfect example was his painting “God and the First Omega”. 

It depicted the first omega, the male version of the traditional omega (which was Eve), and God as the title suggested. God held the child from the male omega, who raised his arms towards God as if he was thankful. The painting was beautiful and seemed innocent enough, but a closer inspection said otherwise. The smile painted on God’s face was of the sadistic variant and the male omega wasn’t raising his arms due to happiness, he was trying to reach for the infant in his hand. His eyes were red and looked like he was crying, begging.

This had been a cocky move, but clearly the people in his time never noticed as Voldemort was never charged with blasphemy. It enraged the catholic churches from all over the world after the knowledge was made public and attempted to get all his paintings destroyed because of ‘blasphemy’. But the growing acceptance and progression of atheism and criticism of anything pretty much existing prevented the paintings from being touched. They were preserved as they should be.

But other than that, who was he exactly?

His real name has been debated many times. Voldemort was only his pseudonym and like any artist in their time, he made a few self-portraits of himself. So people did know what he looked like. However, the only known fact about his personal life was that his surname was Riddle. He had a brother by the name of Thomas. He was the one who found Voldemort dead in his bed and his… other art that has never been seen by the public eye, art that Voldemort had kept for himself until of course his brother found them and showed it off. 

The Riddle family never revealed his true name. Even now, the current Riddle family in modern times were much the same, they still haven’t said anything. Not because they were unwilling, but because they have… simply forgotten. 

The most recognized and critically acclaimed of all of Voldemort’s works that even overshadowed the large paintings and sculptures created directly onto churches, was the painting “The Potterer.” It depicted a man, a beautiful omega, with messy black hair and brilliant almond-shaped green-eyes dipping his pale, soft hands into a small brown cup-shaped clay. That was where the name came from; the man was making a cup from ceramic, pottery. The painting gave a sense of serene and peacefulness to whoever was looking at it. It had many brown shades, the green colour from the omega’s eyes was the only pop of colour in the portrait. Normally that wouldn’t be so good, but it just added a flare, a gorgeous flare, to the already stunning painting. Voldemort had put his whole soul into this. Anyone, even those who didn’t know who painted it, would agree. There was just something in the paint strokes in the painting that made it so, each stroke of the brush felt as if they came from the heart. 

Even after many hundred years, people still didn’t know the name of the man in the portrait. Like the Mona Lisa. Only speculations were made, not even Voldemort’s family knew. 

The name “The Potterer” wasn’t the name of the painting as it held no name, Voldemort never gave it one. But it was the half-length portrait of the mysterious male that everyone, even those who held no interest in art, would first think about when saying “The Potterer”.

“The Potterer” was actually the name of a collection that had the same beautiful omega male over and over again. Paintings and sculptures Voldemort had seemingly made for himself, not because of any commission made by anyone. But it was just unusual… there were countless of them, a lot of them were unfinished but nevertheless, it was something that burned the fuel for the most curiosity-driven people. 

The second most famous painting was a “family portrait.” The same man sat on a rickety stool with an infant in his arms close to him. The painting allowed people to see how the omega had looked at the infant so lovingly. However, unlike the peacefulness, the most popular of the painting collection had given, this one gave a feeling of sadness. This was the painting that made many people wonder if “The Potterer” was someone Voldemort had loved. 

Many people theorized, but “The Potterer” had always tended to be Voldemort’s loved one. Blood-related or not. But the thing was, Voldemort had always lived alone. No one has seen him even near an omega. And neither did his family know of someone that Voldemort had taken even an ounce of interest to. 

Tom Riddle absolutely loved the collection. 

How couldn’t he? 

He remembered every second, every sweat, and every tear he spent as Voldemort painting and sculpting his beloved until he bled from the tips of his fingers. 

Trying to fool himself that he and their child weren’t gone, but were simply away in an errand.

* * *

Harry was an art student, he loved art and the history of it, especially pottery. His parents were pretty much the same. His whole family, specifically on his father’s side, admired art. His mother taught him to draw and paint as a child, while his father taught him the ‘fine arts’ such as ceramic art; pottery. That was where their surname came from. Their first ancestors made money from selling pottery. From a young age, he was already skilled in the arts. It wasn’t a surprise that after he graduated, he had wanted to go to art school. 

Most parents would disapprove since they didn’t believe that art could earn you a lot of money. However, his parents were different, they fully supported their only omega son’s endeavour. Judgemental people, who have too much time in their hands, would criticize families who supported this kind of ‘outlandish behaviour’. For example… his aunt and her family. Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon looked disgusted when they found out and badmouthed his mother to the point that she cried. 

They haven’t seen them since then. 

The Potters, his grandparents were happy when they found out. The complete opposite of the Dursleys. It’s been a long time since a Potter actually became an artist, even if pottery was a common skill they all shared because of practice (they even had their own technique, that’s how deep their history with pottery was). So they were very ecstatic and even bought Harry new supplies for his first year at art school. 

Harry loved the art school he went to, he met a lot of different people. Most of them were betas and omegas. Rarely any alphas actually attended any art school since they think it would ruin their stupid ‘pride’. Ugh. At least the alphas he met were very fun to be around with. 

There were rarely any famous artists that Harry hated, mainly because all of the art they created were utterly and perfectly AND ABSOLUTELY beautiful! The individuality in each artist was very clear, and each of their art pieces had a lot of things to say and were full of opinions even though they couldn’t talk. Harry couldn’t hate them. But there was one person he particularly didn’t like. 

It was the world-famous, Voldemort. 

He hated his art not because he didn’t like it, all his paintings and sculptures were very jaw-dropping. Especially the gratuitous amount of detail to human features and landscaping. Add to the fact his courage to paint ‘blasphemous’ paintings and give it to the church without anyone noticing, was definitely a type of courage he was envious of. He hated him because… PEOPLE KEEP COMPARING HIM TO THE “THE POTTERER” ART PIECE! It was so annoying. At first, it was amusing and tolerable, but people, especially the professors who couldn’t shut their mouths about it! Harry even got featured in a famous magazine for classical art and dubbed him as the “Living embodiment of Voldemort’s legendary painting: The Potterer”. 

Thankfully, the magazine actually didn’t write his name out for everyone to know. He was sure it was illegal anyway since he wasn’t even made aware of it until he saw his picture.

It might be a very pointless thing to complain about but you have to understand how infuriating it is when people only recognize you as the living version of an old painting, and not as an upcoming artist. 

And so, he hated Voldemort. More specifically, the Potterer collection he made. 

Although he couldn’t lie. 

The half-length portrait did look a lot like him. The fact that the man was depicted as doing pottery made it even creepier to look at him. 

It was honestly rather unsettling whenever their class would talk about what made it so popular and the importance of small details in paintings. It felt like he was staring at his own face.


	2. The Voldemort Museum

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry visits the Voldemort Museum in London and meets a very interesting fellow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for the kudos, bookmarks and especially to the people who took time (well, for some people it’s still quarantine) from their lives just to comment something nice! I appreciate it even if I don’t reply to some of them.

During the early days of October, Harry’s class got a chance to tour the museum (all for free, aren’t they lucky?) that held almost all of Voldemort’s art collection- the others were either held in display at the Louvre in Paris or owned privately- and of the displays, the famous painting in “The Potterer” collection, the main half-length portrait was the most viewed one. It was, of course, the one each students- with the exception of him- from his class were most excited about. 

They were given an hour to explore around before they were required to go to listen to a special guest in the projector room. Which was located just down the hall of the entrance. 

Harry and his ragtag ‘gang’ of art nerds were going around the big museum and looking at the sculptures that caught their eye when Harry suddenly turned a little bit sideways. He caught sight of a very tall man, most likely an alpha, with black hair, dark eyes, an excellently defined jawline, and flawless high cheekbones that Maleficent, the one played by Angelina Jolie, would be jealous of. 

His heart thumped loudly in his ears as everything went completely silent. 

Oh no, 

He’s hot.

* * *

Tom was not interested in anyone, never once have fallen in love, or deemed anyone attractive. His heart couldn’t make space for anyone else, it couldn’t replace his beloved, his dearest soulmate.

He had never once smiled- at least not a genuine one- in anyone’s way. Or even, god forbid, blush like a shy omega. 

But by god… he had heard of this boy before. The so-called “Living embodiment of Voldemort’s legendary painting: The Potterer”. Tom had scoffed when he first heard of this, he had seen the picture of him, it did surprise him of how similar they looked but he had quickly concluded that it was photoshop (as people called it). 

But now that he was actually looking at him. He wanted to run to the boy, grab him, and stare at his beautiful, big green eyes. He wanted to run his finger through the tousled black hair, to confirm that he was real. 

The stupid, pretentious magazine he very much detested wasn’t lying.

God, he wanted to do a lot of things but he had to control himself. He wasn’t a horny teenage alpha, he might frighten the omega if he doesn’t. 

Tom doesn’t know his name. 

Was it possible that the boy was actually his beloved’s reincarnation? Was the world giving them another chance? 

Reincarnation was real, he knew that. Tom was one for fuck’s sake. And those who reincarnate look or hold some of their old life’s physical features. Tom looked exactly like how he did as Voldemort, even their names were identical. But not everyone who had reincarnated would remember their past life, only some did and those were the ones who were confirmed to have reincarnated. 

So even if the boy was his beloved’s reincarnation, there was no guarantee that he remembers anything and Tom. 

Soulmates were very rare, but people, as in the scientists and genealogists, found out that most- if not all- people who had been reborn into another body after their death had a soulmate. Dead or not. It did not matter. 

Their souls couldn’t rest because they were missing their other half. That was the reason some souls attach themselves to another body, they needed to find their other missing part. 

Was the world really giving his _Harry_ another chance? A chance to live yet another life where he would be happier, where they could grow old together and have the family he wanted to have hundreds of years ago before his life was cruelly taken from him? 

Or was this a sadistic prank? Merely an illusion of hope for Tom to cling to for a while before his heart gets crushed once again. 

He didn’t want that. 

The omega blushed bright red when they locked eyes and quickly covered his face shyly. 

_Thump_

He felt a pull towards the boy. 

Even if he wasn’t his dearest soulmate. He was really… really cute. 

A smile graced his face… Severus and Lucius looked disturbed at the fact that the usually stoic Tom Riddle had smiled. Both men looked at each other in confusion then trailed Tom’s gaze, both their eyes widened comically when they saw the omega that caught his eye. 

Tom could easily read their facial expressions… 

_“Tom is interested in someone??”_

Really, it’s so ridiculous how people seem to go bat shit whenever he even once looks at an omega or a female beta in a gaze that they translated as *interested* or *into them*. He wasn’t even a proper celebrity, he was just a conservationist (also an artist) and Voldemort’s last descendant, but the paparazzi sure treat him like one. 

_Lucius and Severus aren’t like that though, really, that’s the only reason he could tolerate them._

“Why do you two look like you saw a ghost?” 

The two men’s heads immediately snapped to look at Tom again, who was glaring at them. They nervously smiled.

* * *

Turns out the gorgeous fellow was Tom Riddle, the special guest, a well-known art conservationist, and Voldemort’s last living descendant. Harry knew who he was, and how ‘handsome’ he was. How he didn’t recognize him the first time? It may be a mystery left for no one to solve. 

The female students in his class constantly (and when he meant constantly, he meant it as a really bad thing, not even an exaggeration) talk about him and even as an omega, he could pretty much feel the point where their ovaries exploded just talking about him. 

But oh my god.

He was fucking hot, it was like a nonexistent god decided to make him as handsome as possible. It irritated him… with his handsome face that Harry was sure belonged to a Greek god before him… and intense, strong grey eyes that could make anyone, even alphas, swoon like fools- 

No, Harry did not have a crush. He does not, he will never have one. He was sure because he never, even as a child, had thoughts about dating anyone- well... there was also Cedric but we’re not going there. 

Harry will be a single omega forever and make lots of money. WITHOUT ANYONE’S HELP!

“I have seen students roam around the museum, I’m glad everyone I saw was very interested in the art of my ancestor…” Tom says and smiles charmingly. His voice was as intoxicating as him, sweet as honey but deep like bitter dark chocolate. His voice entered everyone’s ears intimately as if he was right behind them, speaking just to them. 

A few girls and omegas (except Harry) swooned and he was pretty sure some of them would have actually fainted if not for their friends hitting them. 

Harry scoffed, rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. Too busy being grumpy, not even noticing how the alpha’s eyes would sometimes wander to him every few times. Although it wasn’t like he wasn’t the only one who didn’t notice. Some people did notice but chose not to say anything. 

Tom continued speaking with much passion, Harry couldn’t help but stare up and listen to the alpha with keen interest, his understanding of what he was explaining was debatable however. His voice not only attracted people to listen to him but also very pleasant to listen to. The fact that he was so passionate about what he was talking about made it even better. He was a natural speaker.

Harry stared at him, watching Tom’s face as his Adam’s apple bob up and down as he spoke. He was mesmerized. 

His friend, Ron, looked amused and poke him on the side. 

Harry jumped and glared at the red-haired beta. Ron made a move to get close to the omega to whisper something teasingly, but at the same time Riddle made a pause, a sudden violent feeling made the beta jump away.

* * *

Tom was talking about how Voldemort’s freestyling had influenced other artists and the modern era when he caught sight of a beta, a bloody beta, getting all up and close to _his omega_ (correction, not his omega). Tom stopped speaking midway, then bit his tongue to avoid letting out a predator-like growl. Drinking the whole glass of water in an effort to disguise his irritation as a pause from speaking and needing to dehydrate his throat. 

The beta who dared to get closer jumped away from the omega, pleasing the alpha inside him from lunging at the red-haired boy and ripping his throat out for the time being. 

He cleared his throat, “sorry about that.”

* * *

After Riddle’s long speech, that was an hour-long- how in the living hell could he speak so much without even becoming exhausted?- They were led to a room in the museum. It was a large messy art room with numerous art supplies, brushes lined the walls, oil, water, acrylic, and even latex-based paint! And- oh my god, ceramic clays and pottery tables!! This was heaven, Harry was in love to the point that he was sure people could hear him purring. 

“Well, guess who’s horny for the pottery tables.” Someone in the crowd said jokingly and everyone laughs, knowing who they were talking about. Harry didn’t know who said it, but he wasn’t offended as he stuck his tongue childishly. 

“Pottery is literally in my surname. Why is that a surprise that I’m into it so much?” Harry says, a few others laughed again. 

“Well, aren’t you lucky, we should be doing pottery next,” Riddle says, walking past and smiling at him. Harry caught a whiff of his scent… he smelled exactly his type. Bitter and rich, a mix of leather and dew-covered grass like the ones he smells in the morning. 

Harry did not blush at the close proximity him and the alpha briefly shared. Ok?

* * *

Hah, that was bullshit. They were supposed to be doing sculpting next, not pottery. Lucius and Severus gave him confused looks, guess they have to prepare pottery and not sculpting next. 

Tom did not care, he liked seeing the still unknown omega happy, especially the alpha inside of him. His scent became abnormally sweeter when his green eyes landed on the pottery table and ceramic clay, and his mouths curled into an excited grin. It was absolutely adorable, Tom just wanted to pinch the boy’s cheek and squeeze, all the while feeling up the soft skin under his fingertips. He would shamelessly say he would like to see the big smile and smell the scent again. And he wasn’t about to break his excitement apart by saying that they won’t be doing pottery today. 

He stood in front of everybody, his mouth curled in amusement at the omega turning very red in his peripheral vision. “We’ll first be doing painting, and then pottery,” he emphasizes ‘pottery’ and giving the two other alphas a stern look. Lucius and Severus just sighed quietly and nodded. “To see if you were actually listening to me when I talked earlier.” 

Tom smirked sadistically when a few groans entered his ears. 

This pseudo painting class was about freestyling as his previous life had been very skilled in. The point was to sketch a half-length portrait without looking at a reference readily available to you. 

The students lounged and leaned on their seat, not really knowing what to paint. But that was the challenge, right? It made him feel some sense of pride when a few students jumped up from their seats and started painting, inspiration hitting them quickly. 

Tom was doing the same thing as them, painting absentmindedly, giving the students a few observant glances. Although he found most of his attention on one certain student. 

The timer runs out and rings, echoing through the silent room. Waking up a few students from their trance. And even surprised Tom, who stared at his painting in contemplation. 

He didn’t know if he painted the young omega in the class or his beloved.

Meanwhile…

* * *

Harry looked horrified, panic welling up in him when he realized what he’s been doing for the past hour or so. 

This was Tom Riddle! What was he doing? 

He immediately turned red and covered his face in embarrassment. He couldn’t show this in front of the whole class! It would be awkward!

Harry screamed internally, not knowing what to really do. Ron and Hermione were beside him- his best friends, and both betas- and they were laughing their arse off. So much for being his best friends… 

“Harry’s a got crush!” Ron teased as he laughed, Hermione at least had the decency to try and mask her laughter and amusement. 

Harry hits both of them, “I don’t!”

“Why did you paint him then? There’s no shame in having a crush once in a while, Harry.” Hermione says, raising an eyebrow. She tried to keep serious but her face was still oozing of unexplainable glee. 

Harry caught Riddle’s eye, who was, for some reason, looking at him as well. His expression was hard to read but he could see some… jealousy? He shrugged it off, probably a mistake. Why would he be jealous? It made no sense. 

He broke eye contact, somehow turning even redder. How? He didn’t even know.

God, worst day ever. He doesn’t want to remember this ever again. No thank you. 

Riddle was the first one to show his painting. He flipped his painting to be shown to the students, with a slight hesitance in his movement. Students went slack-jawed when they saw the painting. 

Contrasting his ancestor’s painting of the Potterer. Riddle’s was very colourful, the colour was very strong, especially the green eyes, sticking out the strongest out of all the shades like a sore thumb. Although all the detail seemed to have all gone to the eyes, it was flawless, it looked almost real. 

“Is that the Potterer? Or is it Potter?”

Harry gave Dean Thomas a look, “you think it’s me? Why? Makes no sense, this is the first time we’ve met-” 

“I’m not sure either,” Riddle says, his eyes looking straight at him. 

Harry clamps his mouth shut and turns around, not allowing anyone to see his face. He felt like exploding. Some of the students whistled, chuckled, or went “oooh”. Some looked at Harry in envy; they were a diverse group, different appearances from small and big, tall and short but they shared only one thought: 

_Why did someone like him catch Riddle’s attention? They were more beautiful than him._

“Potter, since you’re the centre of attention now. Why not show yours?” 

It might be just his imagination, but the alpha’s voice really sounded mischievous and smug.

“Do I have to?” 

Without turning around, Harry knew that he was smiling. “Of course, everyone has to show their work. People won’t really know what’s wrong with their work unless they let people critique it.” 

He turned around to shakily turn the painting over and let his hair cover his face, but it was enough to see Riddle lean his body on an empty table behind him with just as much formality as he spoke. 

Riddle went completely silent when he saw the painting. 

“Oh my god, Harry painted Riddle and Riddle painted him. Holy shit.”

Now it did sound like the beginning of cheesy rom-com, the fact that Harry couldn’t stop blushing made it even worse.

* * *

Tom didn’t know how to react, one part of him wanted to laugh (and possibly scare off Potter), another wanted to jump and down out of excitement and the last one was just confused. He was hesitant, very hesitant. Tom’s heart belonged to his soulmate and although he and Potter looked the same and pretty much acted the same. He wasn’t sure if they were the same person and he wasn’t sure if his heart could love another person… 

And he didn’t want to hurt him, he didn’t want Potter to fall in love if Tom was just going to use him as a substitute for his Harry. It was wrong… and selfish… Tom would rather die alone. He wasn’t a complete bastard. 

So he gave a neutral response, he forced a smile on his face despite what he was really feeling. “Very good, there’s no shame in showing that. Potter, it’s better than I expected from your embarrassment.”

It didn’t help. And the alpha inside of him was growling and yelling at him to go and “mend what he had done”.

He waited, visibly distracted by the sulking omega, until everyone showed their portraits and got a break for 30 minutes.

Tom did find the portrait of him, which was painted by Potter, quite good but not at the level he said it as. But now that he’s really looking at it more. It was honestly the best one, a really good freestyle painting, painted in only a little over an hour. He wouldn’t mind having it… 

Especially since it was painted by him… 

He’d rather have it, than anyone else having it, Like that red-haired beta… 

“Harry-” A female beta, brown bushy hair, and a stern look on her face began but Tom cut her off, rudely.

“Potter, would you mind staying?”

Tom smiled kindly to Potter, who nodded stiffly. Tom’s alpha growled at him in displeasure seeing the omega look so afraid… 

_Chill, I’m trying to undo it…_

“Sorry, guys. I’ll join you later.” Potter says, the two betas looked at Tom in curiosity but nodded and walked away anyway. 

Tom gave Lucius and Severus a tilt of the head and they were out of there. 

“Don’t be so stiff, Potter. I won’t do anything to you.” He says, snorting slightly as the omega sat on a chair nearest to him. Tom relaxed his body on the table and sat on it casually. Potter noticed and almost burst out into a fit of giggles. It seemed so out of character for the stoic and formal Tom Riddle for him to just sit so casually on a table with no care, didn’t it?

“I’m sorry… It’s just embarrassing-”

“Why would you be embarrassed?” Tom says, pausing and then looking around sneakily, making sure no one was listening before turning to look at Potter. “Don’t tell anyone, but I liked yours best. Especially since it’s a freestyle without a reference.”

“Of course you find it the best, it’s you.” He says Tom gave him a mock stink eye. It just made the omega amused, which was the goal and made Tom (and his alpha) inexplicably happy. 

Potter’s body relaxed and loosened out of its original stiffness. 

“You know you didn’t have to talk to me about this stupid thing… I’ll get over it eventually.” 

“But I wanted to, I don’t know but I didn’t want you to take this experience as an embarrassment.” 

There’s just something about you that lures me in, was what was left unsaid. Tom wasn’t shameless enough to say that loudly. This is the first time they’ve met after all. 

Unknowingly to them both, the strings that intertwined both of their souls together through space and time continuum were already wrapping themselves around each other. This was merely the beginning. It wouldn’t be smooth sailing, but the bond between the two souls was strong and almost unbreakable. They just have to hold on. 

They talked, Potter laughed a lot. A laugh that made Tom’s heart thump wildly in his ribcage. He didn’t know how much his heart could take before it crumbles and creates space for the omega in front of him… 

“So, do you want the painting? I don’t really want to bring it with me, Ron and Hermione will make fun of me forever if I do.” Potter asks, his eyes almost threatening him to refuse. 

Ron and Hermione must be the two betas, who always happen to be around him at all times (other than this time though).

“How much?”

The younger boy looked shocked, “how much? What do you mean, it’s free.”

Tom shook his head, “no, I have to pay otherwise I’d feel bad. It looks like a commission, so I’ll treat it as one.” Potter was about to say something again but he didn’t give him a chance to argue against him.

“How much do you think?”

“120 pounds give or take,” Tom says casually, swinging his legs from the table. 

“Are you insane?” He stood up from his seat, astonishment colouring his face.

“Some people say I am,”

Which was true… those mad, religious fools called him a spawn of Satan, a damned sinner doomed to forever be shackled in hell for having forsaken their so-called “benevolent” god. Insane was one of the minor insults he has heard. 

“That’s too much!”

“Barely much to me to be fair,” 

Potter gives him a look, the look that Harry usually gives him whenever he says something so outrageously stupid that it’s almost blasphemy. 

He gives a thought, “50 pounds max, I didn’t use my materials, so that’ll lessen it.”

“80 pounds then?”

“I said 50-”

“100 then-”

“Ugh! You’re annoying!” Potter crossed his arms, and pouted, his cheeks puffing up and turning crimson red in irritation. Tom broke into giggles. 

How cute… he hasn’t seen this kind of expression in years until this day. He missed it. 

“Okay, okay, fine. 50 pounds, happy?”

Harry- no, Potter finally nodded, but his arms were still crossed and he was still glaring at him. Man, he wouldn’t let just anyone get away with being so petulant around him, but this guy… Tom 

“I don’t have my money with me right now, I can get it another time? Can you give me your number and your full name?”

He felt his wallet shake (how? He had no idea) in his pocket.  
Real smooth, Tom…

Potter didn’t think much about it and nodded as Tom gave him his phone. He dutifully wrote down his number and full name on it, giving it back to him in just a few seconds. 

Tom smiled… really, the sassy omega could bite but he’s really naive. Doesn’t he think that Tom might have been flirting with him- he wasn’t ok? This was simply a comparison- and get weirded out? Tom for some reason felt the instinctive-alpha urge to coddle him. 

He looked at the name. 

Tom scrambled to keep the phone in his hand, his vision and limbs shook in astonishment.

Harry James Potter

They have the same name…

* * *

“You look like you’re in a good mood, did you and Riddle kiss?” Ron said after Harry had beckoned them to sit beside his pottery table. He glared at him.

“Really? That’s what you thought when we were alone here?” Harry scrunched up his nose in disgust. 

“Well, Harry… an alpha and an omega alone in a room where there’s no one else inside…”

“Honestly, do be more appropriate. I wouldn’t take advantage of anyone, let alone an unaware omega.” Riddle said, approaching with a block of ceramic clay and a medium-sized metal wire in his hands. An offended look on his face and dark eyes. 

The look sent shivers down the two betas’ spine. But it just made… Harry ever so slightly shy. 

The alpha cleanly slices a part of the clay with the metal wire and gave it to Harry first, who was directly in front of him. Theoretically, it would have been better if he started at the front instead of started in front of Harry, so he wouldn’t move so much. But the thought that Riddle had specifically given him the clay first made him flush. Riddle’s eyes lingered on him for one second, which neither even noticed, before walking towards the others. 

“If you need more, come and approach me. If you’re confused as to what you are doing, don’t be afraid to talk to me as well. I won’t bite-” He starts, pausing to glare at Hermione and Ron. “Unless you talk about things that don’t have anything to do with pottery.”

And so they worked and worked. Some students were absolutely awful- untrained, not awful as his parents told him- at pottery and would have wasted precious (not really) clay if not for Riddle intervening. 

Some students tried to ask him for help but he would always refuse to. He used an unusual technique for pottery, something that wasn’t beginner-friendly and would confuse anyone. It was his family’s, the Potters, pottery technique.

Harry caught himself staring a few times, mesmerized as Riddle worked. His rough, veiny hands dipping themselves onto the clay and forming his desired shape. His eyebrows would knit, his mouth curling nastily and his facial expression contorted in an unpleasant way whenever Riddle’s hand would collide and touch the student’s. Not even noticing how Riddle could smell the bitter scent he was producing, how he would flinch away whenever he meets the student’s fingers, and how he would deliberately avoid going near them, and not even noticing how he was moving in the influence of the omega’s bitter jealous-like scent. 

The student looked disappointed when he rose from his seat in front of her. 

Harry was just getting back to his work when Riddle stood in front of him. He kept the clay spinning on the table but removed his hands from it to look at Riddle. 

_Thump_

Another one. Riddle’s look on him was unexplainably complicated and… his eyes. 

They looked so familiar… 

They stayed like that for a good second before Harry blinked and dropped the tension. 

“What?”

“I just noticed, you refuse to help any of your classmates. Is there something the matter?” Riddle, grabbing a chair to sit in front of him. 

“Um, it’s because I use my family’s pottery ways I guess you can say. It’s really confusing and isn’t really good for someone who’s a beginner.” 

“Really? Teach me if you don’t mind.” 

Harry was hesitant but gulped down his anxiety. “Well, I’m not good with explaining. So.. y’know…” 

Tom chuckles, “go ahead.” 

Harry’s face turns into a reddish hue, and shakily grabs Riddle’s hands.

* * *

Potter’s hands were expectedly softer and smaller than Tom’s rough, coarse hands. He felt the urge to squeeze the omega’s hands but pushed it down quickly. He was already shaking nervously, Tom wasn’t about to make it worse. 

Harry Potter started talking and guiding his hands gently onto the clay in front of him. 

He was using the same technique his Harry had taught him… using predominantly more of his fingers instead of his palms. God… this moment… 

He remembered it very clearly. 

“I wish you were resting instead,” Tom says as he entered their tiny, but cosy home.

His mate was sitting on a wooden stool in the middle, his arms and some parts of his face were covered with wet clay as his hands were busy forming something on the messy table. The table had been originally made of birch wood but the wood was no longer really visible under the years worth of paint covering it. 

Harry turned to look at his alpha, his green eyes glowing brightly as a smile formed on his tired face. Struggling slightly as he held his already big stomach stable. Tom quickly went to his side and supported him. He had been complaining for days that their child really hated him and kept kicking from inside him. However, even with the many complaints, Tom knew that Harry was excited for the time they would be able to hold their child. He just wished nothing bad would happen.

They were not married, they couldn’t afford it. Especially since the sickness that ravaged the country (and he would presume Europe as a whole) had only passed. They were lucky they avoided getting affected by the sickness that killed many people. Although that didn’t really alleviate Tom’s worry for his omega. 

“Tom, you can’t expect me to just sit around and do nothing,” Harry says, sitting Tom down on the other side of the table. “Pottery is my hobby, it’s in my surname.” 

He didn’t argue. Harry’s mood swings were very dangerous and he didn’t really want to make him angry, in case it affected their child. 

Harry grabs Tom’s hands. The difference between their hands wasn’t very much, other than the fact that Harry’s were a tad bit smaller. Both hands were rough and dry due to years of work. 

“You might find some fun in pottery if you actually try it.”

“I find painting more appealing.”

Harry just rolled his eyes, the chuckle that followed after was filled with amusement. Even so, Tom’s comment didn’t deter the omega from steering his hand to shape the clay between them, speaking softly as he explained the beauty of pottery and how to do it. Tom followed along, letting Harry’s nimble fingers move around to control Tom’s hands. He really had nothing better to do, sure he could paint but right now… he’d rather be near his mate’s comforting presence. 

“Do you wonder what our child’s gender is?”

“I assure you, whether or not they’re a boy or a girl. I’m sure they’ll be perfect.”

Harry smiled softly, not looking up. “How about Salazar for a boy and Delphini for a girl?”

Tom smiled at the thought, a lump forming inside his throat and a tear threatening to fall from his glazed-over eyes. 

Harry also felt a sense of familiarity at this moment. However, unlike Tom, he couldn’t pinpoint why. Was he remembering the time his father taught him the Potter pottery technique? Was he remembering something else? He didn’t know and it was bothering him.

* * *

Not a lot of people finished their ceramic art, but most of them decided to keep their ‘work’ and finish it at home (somehow). Harry was one of those who kept their work but didn’t plan to continue. He had ended up with a small cup, which he was probably going to use as a cup holder.

Everyone immediately left after the professors, who were supervising, had let them but Harry had waited and stayed behind. Riddle had sensed his presence and somehow deduced that he was waiting for him and approached him after everyone went away. 

Some students gave them a slight glance before moving on. The two other men who were with Riddle went to leave as well when he made a face at them. 

“Potter-”

“It’s just Harry, sir.”

The older man raised an eyebrow at ‘sir’. “Well… Just-Harry, don’t call me sir again. It sounds like I’m old. Call me Tom.” 

Harry grins, “anyway, when do you think you’ll be able to get the painting?”

“I’m not sure, on Saturday perhaps. I’ll message you, where do you live? I’ll come to you.” 

“Oh, my dorm is just right beside my university, so around Epsom.”

“A cafe around Epsom then? Is it fine?” The alpha asks, burying his hands into the pockets embedded inside his jeans.

“Yep, just don’t pick a really expensive one. I’ll feel out of place otherwise.” Harry says, watching Tom pull out his phone. 

“Not an expensive one… I’ll treat you if it’s too expensive.” 

Harry flushed, “ah, please don’t do that. People might really get the wrong idea…” 

The shine in the alpha’s eyes dimmed and his mouth curled into a disappointed frown. Did he say something bad? 

“God, please don’t remind me about how the paparazzi take shit out of context.” He says, bringing his hand to his forehead and closing his eyes in irritation. 

Ah, that’s why- 

Wait, why was he disappointed?

Harry didn’t speak up.

* * *

Tom sighed. Thank fuck, Harry didn’t seem to notice his disappointment. He didn’t even know why he felt it. It just crept up to his face so quickly, he, who had trained to control his own emotions, wasn’t fast enough to suppress it. 

“Shit,” 

Severus and Lucius appeared at the right time, appearing as Harry was out of sight. They gave Tom a look of confusion. 

“Go on, ask,” He snaps at them. “I can see it on your face. Curiosity is practically oozing out of you.”

Tom massages his temple, watching his two “friends” (could you even call them that?) look at each other, daring the other to speak. It pleases him, the fact that his mere presence could force these two alphas to get cold feet around him. 

Severus’s glare eventually won out and Lucius sighed. 

“Uh, Tom, are you interested in the omega?” He asks, causing the other alpha beside him to stumble, snorting very undignifiedly. 

Tom glared at both of them before looking at the street where Harry had disappeared to, not bothering to what the other two alphas were hushedly yelling at each other about. 

“I don’t know,” 

Those three words stopped Severus and Lucius, letting the quietness reign around them.

Tom felt like he was going to fall in love sooner or later and it wasn’t because the other Harry looked and acted the same as his own Harry did. There was something about him… it lured him in.

He didn’t exactly appreciate that and Tom felt guilty. 

_I’m sorry Harry_

* * *

Harry’s dorm room was a decently sized single bedroom containing the things he needed; a small single bed, a desk to do his homework, a nightstand, and a dresser filled with mostly sweaters and long-sleeved shirts. He was rather lucky to get a room with two windows. Unlike most dorm rooms, his room wasn’t actually fully decorated. The first year, yes, the room was very much decorated with a lot of stuff. But he had already started to take down some stuff and clean out inside the drawers of the desk. Which he finally did after silently complaining for so long. It drove him mad that it couldn’t be closed completely. 

But right now, he wasn’t cleaning, instead, he was doing something ‘educational’. 

He was doing his very important homework. Well attempting to, he couldn’t focus and his eyes always strayed to look at his phone that never lit up. At least never lit up to Tom’s phone number or name. Harry wanted to message him, a good morning perhaps… but wouldn’t he look desperate? The only reason he even got the (very handsome) alpha’s phone number was to give him the painting. It was merely for professional reasons and nothing personal. A person and their client don’t talk casually unless it’s for business purposes and messaging him a _good morning_ isn’t professional! 

But was it wrong for Harry to want to message him? Or at least get a message from the alpha? Which was more apparently more appropriate because according to people, it’s the alphas who message first not the omega.

God!!!

Why is he so distracted! He literally just only met Tom for like a day! Jesus Christ!

On the other hand… Tom felt the same way. 

He stared at the painting, which was fairly small with little damage, trying to examine it, attempting to figure out how he should restore it without damaging it even more. But… why… why was it so hard to concentrate??? 

Tom could not think about anything (or anyone) other than Harry. His hand would instinctively try to reach for his phone and linger on the message icon, but he would always stop himself. Think about it, what if Harry thought it was creepy? Tom didn’t want him to avoid him. That’ll be bad! Even if Tom doesn’t want to fall in love, Harry was a nice omega (better than all the omegas, who were desperate to have his affections, he met) and Tom would daresay want him as a friend. 

The sound of a familiar ringing snapped him out of his thoughts. He looked at his phone and scowled. 

Why was it her again?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I finally understand the pain authors have to go through with editing chapters hahaha


	3. Café Date… or is it?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tom and Harry have a date in the cafe, yes, that’s the summary. Oh, and some alphas tries to get in his pants too I guess.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> html is a bitch (the final half was italicized, i had no idea why because the HTML I added was fine???), so I had to edit like the final half last minute. Can't say I'm pleased... I found where it fucked up, so if there's a part not properly italicized... please tell me haha

Harry’s dreams were always weird, but they were never very clear. All the people he saw in all of his dreams were either people he knew or people with fog covering their faces. But now after the day, he met Tom Riddle.

He dreamt of him every night. Every time he slept, he would always get a surreal dream, to the point that he could almost fool himself that it was actually happening until he woke up. Most of the dreams he had gotten usually happened at one place, rickety, almost shack-like wooden home. It wasn’t a place he had ever seen before and definitely not a type of architecture you would find nowadays. 

God, he even got a dream where Tom… got into the home base… specifically Harry’s. By the time he had woken up. He had immediately thrown off his quilt and found the bedsheet under him to be… wet. Not from urine, but from a clear white substance. Harry panicked when he realized that it was _slick_ that 100% came from him. He felt ashamed despite knowing that it was normal for omegas and that he was alone in his dorm. Harry removed the bed sheet carefully, not wanting the mattress to be affected as well because that’ll be even worse. 

But the dream that shook him the most was the dream where he was making a bowl out of ceramic clay, wearing the same clothes as the man in “The Potterer” painting. Tom was sketching a few meters away from him and when he was done. He rose up from his position and showed him his sketch. It was what looked like the sketch version of the painting. 

That was a dream that, in a state of half deliriousness, got him thinking. 

Was there something there?

Lucius, the stupid, loose mouthed fool told that fucking brainless bint Bellatrix. Tom was too mellow, he knew he couldn’t trust anyone but yet he did. And see what happened. 

Bellatrix had been desperately trying to go after him after Tom embarrassed her in front of a crowd of ‘influential people’. She had threatened to make his life a living hell, but he never took her seriously. Why would he? She was just a beta, an inconsequential fucking twit, a disgrace of a beta that would put even the people with the IQ of 0 to shame. 

She had done a lot of things, like secretly shit talk him but that didn’t affect him at all. Bellatrix can try all she wants but Tom did not care. She can throw shit at him, get him involved in bat shit crazy scandals.

Tom wouldn’t be phased.

But 

You

Don’t 

Fucking 

Touch

Harry

No- you don’t touch someone that really doesn’t have anything to do with him. 

For fuck’s sake, why was he panicking? It isn’t like there was any true evidence that they are dating or any evidence that Harry was a gold digger out for his money or any evidence that would possibly get Harry kicked out of his university (or worse, crush his dreams). There shouldn’t be any dirt on both of them that the bitch could use. The stupid fucking trollop better not get any ideas.

Right… so, no pressure. The threat was most likely nothing to worry about. Bellatrix has and will always be full of nasty shit. 

Plus, he has an appointment with Harry this weekend… So that should be something he would be looking forward to. What a great way to end this week of thinking of this one omega...

4:10 pm _**TOM:** Good evening, I’m free this weekend, Saturday should be fine?_

4:16 pm _**HARRY:** yep where should we meet??_

4:17 pm _**TOM:** I heard there’s a cafe near there, SENZO? Do you know it?_

4:19 pm _**HARRY:** oh that cafe_

4:19 pm _**HARRY:** yeah i know it_

4:21 pm _**TOM:** It’s SENZO then. 12 pm? _

4:23 pm _**HARRY:** sure :)))_

Tom was debating with himself whether or not she should add something more. Even if he wanted to, what should he say? 

Ask whether or not he’s eaten?- No, that’s weird. 

Should he ask about his studies?- Bad idea, he isn’t Harry’s grandfather who’s way too invested with his future. 

Banter with him?- about what??? 

Why the hell was he even thinking about this?? His and Harry’s relationship should be an impersonal professional-client type of deal. Why in the deepest depths of hell was he over thinking about this?

Harry was thinking the same thing as Tom did, but neither knew of this.

* * *

“Harry,” 

The omega looked up from his phone, giving one last glance at Tom’s last message before closing it. In front of him was an alpha, black hair, and dark brown colored eyes. Harry recognized him as the infamous Roger Davies. Davies was a student in the same university as him, just a year older, and was doing business courses. He was er… passably attractive? He didn’t find him that handsome but considering his track record of his girlfriends/boyfriends and how much everyone in the school talked about him. Clearly a lot of people do but not Harry. 

Sure, he was decent looking but eh, something about Davies rubbed him the wrong way. 

Harry smiled at him in a friendly manner, “yeah?”

“Do you have plans this Saturday?” Davies asked. 

“Yes actually, I have to meet someone tomorrow.” He says, observing as the alpha’s face changed into a displeased one but he didn’t let it affect him. “Why?”

“Damn, I was gonna ask you on a date.” Davies smiles ‘charmingly’, “are you sure you don’t wanna cancel your plans?”

Harry’s smile dropped. 

There’s no way he was going to cancel a meeting with *the* Tom Riddle just to be with this dude. What a prat.

“I’m sure, sorry, Davies. It’s really important, I can’t cancel it-”

“What’s so important about your meeting that you’d be willing to refuse me?”

“It’s personal, Davies-” Harry let out an undignified ‘eek!’ when the much larger alpha began to close the already small distance between them and slammed his arm onto the pole behind him, trapping Harry against the pole and him. 

“Roger, it’s Roger, Harry.” 

“Well, _Davies_. I’m not really interested.” He says, sneeringly, “I’m sure you have other people to bother.”

The alpha scowled, “well, don’t call on me if you end up lonely.” Davies says before removing his hand from the pole and walking away, irate and not giving the equally irritated omega one single final look.

God, what an arsehole.

* * *

Tom was walking, with a mild disguise gear, black sunglasses, and a hat. Not that it was necessary but better safe than sorry. He could have driven his car to the cafe. Not just for being lazy, but for also holding the already finished product of the painting he had restored secure. But honestly? The painting was small and not at all heavy, and he trusted himself to just carry it. And SENZO, the cafe, was at most a 5-minute walk from the hotel he had rented in. Driving his car seemed unnecessary, add to the fact that if he did, he had to find a parking spot… which was even more troublesome. 

He was neither walking briskly or slowly, just normal in terms of pace. He was a few meters away from the cafe, however, he could already see it. He first froze when he noticed Harry’s back from the window. Harry looked stiff and Tom could see the silhouette of two men in front of him. 

It probably took him only 30 seconds before he entered the building. He barely repressed a growl when he realized what was really happening. Harry looked annoyed beyond anything to the point that he didn’t even notice him approaching. 

“I told you, I’m not interested-”

He heard Harry hiss out. There were a few customers and workers watching, but none of them dared to interfere. Disgusting...

“Oh come on, babe- won’t it hurt you to talk to us-”

“Harry,” Tom growls lowly out once near enough. The growl wasn’t towards the omega but towards the two unpleasant men. 

Tom was taller than both of them, and he was intimidating. And the two other men knew this very well. Tom was sure he would have actually lunged at them if not for them backing away slowly and raising their hands in submissions. 

One of the men looked at Harry nervously. “You could have told us you already had an alpha and we’d leave-”

Tom scoffed, bullshit. If he was a ‘lesser’ alpha (lesser meaning being shorter and smaller than the two), they wouldn’t leave Harry and continue harassing him to no end until he finally complies. 

“I don’t-”

“You guys better get the _fuck_ out.” He didn’t say any threats, but both of them didn’t need it. A violent shudder and fear went down their spine, it was due to a mere miracle that they could even move, let alone walk. 

Tom kept glaring at them until they scurried away from the cafe, only sitting in front of Harry when they were out of sight. The muscles in his face started relaxing, as well as his whole body against the seat behind him. 

“Those bastards probably think you’re my boyfriend now,” Harry starts, unaffected by his sudden outburst. 

“Good, they’ll leave you alone.” 

The omega blushes, smiling slightly. It proved to be effective as Tom involuntarily followed, his mouth curling to a small smile.

“You didn’t need to do that.” Harry says, “ I’ve seen those guys go around and hit on others. And it’s not like it’s the first time. I get hit on a lot, it’s a nuisance but I got used to it.”

“Still, what if they do something?”

“They won’t, they don’t have the balls to do so in broad daylight.”

Tom didn’t respond, observing Harry, who dug around under the table. He was wearing a thick high turtleneck wool sweater, which not only hid his unmarked neck but also his hands, letting only his thin, delicate fingers through. It was paired with plain white washed jeans. The sweater made sense as December was quickly approaching and the coldness was slowly settling itself down unto the country, although Tom didn’t find it that cold as of yet. He was sure a lot of people would disagree.

His eyes explores Harry as he tries to lift something up. He was as nice looking as his personality was, which meant he was _very_ lovely-

… did he really just ogle this innocent, unaware omega? 

Sweet mother of Jesus… 

“Here it is,” Harry says, gently placing something on the table in front of them. Tom assumed that it was the painting of him, wrapped like a gift. 

“Wrapped like a gift.” 

“I tried my best, it’s like a gift anyway,” his eyes returned back to look at Tom’s. “I’m surprised that you even came here, considering your work, I’m sure you’re busy.” 

“I am, however,” he pauses to take the wrapped painting in his arms. “ I just finished my last piece this week and my client agreed to meet me here.”

“Oh- we better finish this up quick then,” Harry says, disappointment making itself clear even though the omega didn’t seem to want to make it obvious. 

“No, I told them to meet me here at 3. We have plenty of time- if you don’t mind of course.” Tom replied, handing him an envelope with the money promised. The omega took it and felt it for himself, he gave the alpha a suspicious look. 

“I feel like this is more than what you told me,” 

“Your imagination, it should only be 50 pounds.” Tom smiled innocently, Harry didn’t seem to believe him, especially with his smile, but he nodded anyway. 

He was right, that was more than 50 pounds. Tom was not his sugar daddy (god, this word…) or whatever people call it nowadays, but he could not stop himself from adding extra. The oil painting wasn’t subpar and deserved more than 50 pounds. It wasn’t as if he needed the money anyway. His work, also the money the museum generated, gave him enough money to fool around with monthly. Which he didn’t even do.

“I rented a hotel room for a week, I think I’ll take a vacation for just a few days since I’m already here. I haven’t gotten one since over a year ago…” Tom stood up, carefully placing the painting on the other side of his seat.

Harry stood up as well, following Tom to the counter to buy something. “Isn’t that stressful?” 

“I haven’t thought of that. I have nothing against vacations, work distracts me from thinking the most mundane things, sometimes even stress if I’m focused enough. I guess that’s why I don’t take breaks other than sleep or hygiene breaks.” 

“You sound really old,” Harry comments, turning to look at the smiling counter attendant. 

“People usually tell me I have an old soul.”

Which was true… metaphorically and figuratively speaking. 

“What would a couple like you two wishes to order?”

Harry started sputtering after hearing the word ‘couple’, the woman in front of them dropped her smile and looked concerned at him. 

“I’m afraid we are going to be called a couple not just this once…” Tom says helplessly, not really minding. 

“Why can’t an omega and an alpha hang out without being suspected of being a couple?”

“Ah! I’m so sorry!” The female beta quickly said, “it’s just you two really do look with each other.” She meekly added. 

Tom’s alpha purred silently, pleased, and agreed. 

So did Harry’s omega.

* * *

Harry eyed Tom, who doesn’t seem to notice his staring. Last time he met him, he wore a suit, probably an expensive tailored-just-for-him suit, and he definitely looked good in it. But something about Tom dressed in a casual black dress shirt with the sleeves hiked up made him even more attractive to the eye. The black traditional watch, not one of those highly modernized digital watches, around his left wrist, maximized it. And oh… not to mention his scent… Harry adored it, he could smell it every day and not even get tired. 

For the first time in a while, he felt the omega inside him purr out in appreciation at the alpha. 

Harry immediately looked away when Tom suddenly looked at him.

“Yes?” 

He couldn’t look at the alpha in the eye, instead, he willed his eyes to look at the coffee in Tom’s hand, that of which he was given to just a few moments ago. 

“Black coffee? Really? I don’t understand why people even like them, they’re so bitter.” He says, in an attempt to change the subject.

“Exactly why I like them. And I don’t understand why people like hot chocolate, they’re way too sweet, I think my teeth would rot.” He gestures towards the mug Harry was clutching tightly in his hands, perhaps to warm his hands? They do look like they would get cold easily. 

Harry pouted and gave Tom a stink eye, who in return gave a small deep chuckle. And wasn’t that the sexiest thing he has heard in years. 

He was about to take out his credit card to pay when the taller man beside him got in front of him and swiped his credit card in his place. 

“Are you paying for both?”

“Yes,” Tom says with no hesitance. The woman behind the counter smiles cheekily and gives them both a quick questioning glance of _“are you sure you two aren’t dating?”_

“Wha- you know, Tom, you’re not really helping to disprove the fact that we’re not dating.” 

“I don’t need to date you to be a gentleman, Harry.” 

Fair enough… but really… 

“I’m not going to pull down my pants for you because you did this, just so you know.”

Tom may or may not have almost dropped his coffee to the floor and started laughing out of honest to god amusement.

* * *

Tom has never really laughed out of pure entertainment, nor humor (at least in this life, he was always moody and serious). And he held great pride in it… but alas, he can never say that he hasn’t truly laughed because of what Harry had just said. 

He had tried to control himself, but Jesus Christ. Harry had to drag them to his seats and it took him a few minutes to get a hold of himself. The shorter man in front of them just looked amused as he stared at him while drinking his too sweet hot chocolate. 

“Finally done now?” Harry was smirking at him. 

“Well, I’m not laughing again for at least 50 years to make up for that outrageous outburst,” Tom says, a smile still tugging at his lips. 

“What do you mean? Your laugh is nice.” 

“I hate laughing, it makes me feel too unguarded.”

“No wonder why you feel so old,” Harry says, fiddling the cup in his hand. “You hate laughing, you wear all black, you like the bitter taste of coffee, and you never go to vacations because you find it ‘unnecessary’-”

“I don’t find it unnecessary, I just don’t think about it.” Tom shots back. 

“-you’re a complete grumpy old man despite what your appearance is telling me.”

He shakes his head slowly, agreeing, transferring the bitter, and still hot black coffee smoothly from the table into his hand.

“Where do you plan to go on your first vacation this year?” Harry asks.

“No idea, I was hoping you’d suggest somewhere.” 

His smirk turned into a big smile then, “yeah, how about hiking? It’s more of a walk though. But there’s one just a few minutes from here if we- you take the car, which I’m assuming you do. It’s called Headley Heath, I’ve been there a few times, so I can probably take you there-” He suddenly cuts him off, his smile dropping as he seemingly realized something. “Ah- or I can just send you the location, I have your number anyway.”

“You’re not busy tomorrow? No homework?”

“No, I finished that on Friday-”

“You don’t mind joining me do you?”

Like a light bulb, Harry’s face lit up brightly. 

And a bang and a thump. 

**_God… I’m so sorry Harry… I believe I’m already in too far to back out._ **

They talked, well mostly Harry did the talking, about the various other places and nearby trails he could go to. While Tom was just satisfied watching him talk animatedly and doing hand gestures, he sometimes made comments when appropriate or needed. Harry didn’t even notice that most of the time Tom wasn’t actually listening to him and was more interested in staring at him being so lively. 

A gravelly cough broke out both of their trance, Tom barely let out a low snarl at the interruption. There were two men in front of them, an alpha-omega pair, perhaps a good 10 years older than he and Harry were. The alpha, light blond hair and blue eyes, looked unimpressed at his growl and was frowning. The omega, auburn hair and matching blue eyes, however, looked amused at them, he generally looked kinder than his, who Tom could only assume, mate. Although he hasn’t seen the restored painting’s owners, as it was given to him by the owners’ ‘servant’. Tom could already tell, out of pure instinct alone, that they were his clients he was waiting for.

Harry looked at them and flushed. 

“We can come back another time since it seems you both are busy,” the auburn-haired omega started. 

“I think not,” the alpha beside him added. 

Harry let out a nervous laugh, “I guess you’ll call me, Tom?” He says, scooching out of his seat and out the couple’s view. But he didn’t completely go out, as he looked at Tom expectantly. 

“Yes, 10 am should sound fine with you?”

“Yeah… well goodbye! It’s nice talking to you!” Harry quickly went out, not letting himself stay for a second longer. Tom let out a silent chuckle. 

A notification from his phone caught his attention. He opened his phone while in his peripheral vision, the blond alpha took out the single-seat but didn’t make any moves to sit on it, instead gently took his mate’s hand and let him sit on the seat. 

Guess this guy wasn’t a complete arsehole. 

3:04 pm _**HARRY:** sorry i went out so suddenly_

3:04 pm _**HARRY:** there was no way i was going to stay there that alpha was intimidting af_

3:05 pm _**HARRY:** intimidating*_

Tom smiled, typing out a quick reply before he went to business with the couple in front of him. 

3:07 pm _**TOM:** It’s alright, don’t oversleep today. We have an ‘appointment’ tomorrow._

When Harry got back to his single dorm room, he had opened the message Tom left and once the door to his fairly decorated room closed with a quiet creak. A huge smile manifested on his face, stretching his mouth muscles so much, he was pretty sure they would be sore later. He leaned back on the door and slowly slid down, letting out an excited squeal while covering his face with his hands. Ignoring the lingering coldness, instead, he was busy thinking about Tom and his short message that made him unexplainably happy. 

A knock on his door broke him out of his reverie. 

Harry quickly pulled himself up to stand on his feet and pocketed his phone in his jean pocket. He opened the door and saw Ron, who quickly dragged him outside. 

Tom almost collapsed on the bed once he had gotten to the hotel room he had rented. The light in the sky the sun produced had already become muted was already well into being overtaken by the darkness the night had bestowed on earth like every other day, unchanging. Who knew talking with his client would take so long, trying to be as respectful and still sound neutral while in front of his alpha client was hard. Tom was ashamed to say that was the first day he had become so exhausted just by talking. 

There were other far ruder clients he had met while working for years, but this one for some reason had really drained his energy. And this was coming from someone who was used to this kind of behavior. 

God… 

Tom had just come out of the shower with just only a towel covering his lower half when his phone started ringing, not too annoyingly but he didn’t bother to cover himself with his sleeping robe. He shimmied to his bed and looked down. Tom had quickly grabbed the phone, his eyes lighting up brightly when it was indeed Harry who was calling him. If there was a world record of answering a phone call the fastest, Tom would have probably gotten it at this moment. With no hesitance, he answered the call. Weirdly enough, he didn’t hear anything but muffled music and a lot of people talking. 

Tom raised an eyebrow, _“hello?”_

It took a minute and nothing, disappointed, he almost hung up when he finally heard Harry’s voice. 

_“Uh, did you call me?”_ The man on the other side asks, confusion tinting his voice. 

Tom relaxes and sat on his bed, still half-naked, _“no, you did.”_

_“Oh, uh, sorry…”_ He almost snorted, he could already feel the embarrassment in his voice. _“Were you busy?- if I wasted your time-”_

Tom let out a low chuckle, _“no, you didn’t, it’s alright. I just got out of the shower…”_ Harry didn’t respond, seemingly going silent. _“It’s awfully loud there, where are you?”_

_“Oh- Um- I’m at a party… one of my friends dragged me here. I really want to get out but he won’t let me out.”_ He says, sounding annoyed. Tom takes the towel beside him and starts drying his hair. The phone still beside his ear. 

_“I can understand, they are annoyingly loud and feels so unnecessary.”_

_“I know right! Parties aren’t my thing either!”_ His tense shoulder relaxes, hearing Harry’s excited, yet calming voice. _“You don’t mind talking right? I need an excuse to get out of this place.”_

_“I don’t, I have nothing better to do anyway”_

Not even realizing, they had already spent over an hour talking, laughing with each other. They talked about nothing serious, well- nothing serious for Harry. Tom opened up slowly but surely as he told the green-eyed beauty on the other side of the phone, he felt safe with, about his past and stories (not his past life, he was sure Harry wouldn’t believe him.) 

Eventually, Harry managed to convince his ‘friend’- although Tom would argue that he was even a friend, as who would force someone to go to a party their friend clearly didn’t want to go to?- that he needed to go somewhere with Tom’s voice as evidence that the made-up story was true.

He turned to look at the big glass sliding door leading to the balcony, watching as the first snow of the autumn season fall on the ground. At some point, he did actually change to proper sleeping robes. He wouldn’t want to die of hypothermia, would he?

_“Where are you? Should I pick you up?”_ Tom asks with barely any hesitation, listening to Harry scramble to get out of the loud house. 

_“That wouldn’t be necessary, I can take the bus-”_ He suddenly heard a loud shiver on the phone. _“Man, I didn’t know it was going to snow today! It’s still early October!”_

_“Exactly why I asked,”_

_“I-it’s fine, I can still take the bus…” Harry sounded unsure._

Tom stood up, “ _Tell me where you are, I’ll drive you home.”_

_“Are you sure? I don’t want you to be a bother-”_

_“I assure you, you’re the last person that I would consider to be a bother.”_  


That silenced his protests. Tom could almost feel him blushing from over the phone.

_“I-I… I’ll hang u-up and send y-you the l-location.”_ Harry finally says as Tom goes to properly attired himself and grab his keys. He didn’t even get the chance to say anything as the other man had already hung up.

* * *

Harry already knew that it was Tom when he saw the Mercedes-Benz car coming up, he was no car expert so he didn’t exactly know what model it was. But it was probably something that he wouldn’t ever buy if he was rational. Honestly, why would you buy an expensive car if you’re just going to use it for transportation? It’s not like people would live in their own car… 

Some people from the party stopped to eye the car when it parked just in front of the house. Then their gazes turned to the shivering omega when he started approaching said vehicle. The door was unlocked, with some hesitation, he got in. 

Tom was looking at him expectantly as Harry quickly closed the door, careful not to slam it, and then shivering in the process. 

“Why didn’t you take a proper jacket with you?” The taller man asks, observing his body up and down. 

“Ron dragged me with him, I didn’t even get the chance to get what you call a ‘proper jacket’. I didn’t even know it was going to snow today…” Tom frowns at the mention of the name but didn’t really express his concerns as he started driving. 

The two didn’t speak much… mainly because Harry was too busy trying to warm himself. He hated being so cold easily… it’s a good thing during summer, but not during winter months or very cold windy days. He placed his hand inside his wool sweater while trying to cover up his lower face from the air. His glasses were not helping. 

Harry didn’t even notice how Tom’s eyes would sometimes linger on him, and how he subtly raised up the temperature. Ignoring the fact that he, himself already felt rather warm. 

The comfortable silence between them caused his eyes to feel droopy as he started to doze off. 

Tom stopped at a red light and busied himself by watching Harry, who had already fallen asleep after just 15 minutes of driving. He was snoring lowly, unaware of the alpha’s fond eyes on him or anything in the world really… Tom wanted to touch him, just one quick innocent touch… nothing more.

Then a sob escaped pass Harry’s lips, Tom was immediately on guard. The next thing he said shook the alpha to the core. 

_“Salazar… Thomas…”_

Tom could not move his eyes from Harry out of shock, his heart clenched painfully. 

There was no way right…?

Tom was a strict Protestant, a very devout man. He prayed at least once a day for an hour, while Harry was definitely more relaxed. The most prayers he would do was once a day, only lasting five minutes or 10. However, Tom didn’t force him into praying like him and didn’t criticize him for it. Although he couldn’t comprehend why he wouldn’t show his gratitude to God who blessed their life. It wasn’t his place to force him. If Harry didn’t want to pray. Tom would pray for him instead, adding another hour in the day to devote to praying. 

He prayed for the safe delivery of his child and for their life to become a bit better. Tom wasn’t asking for much, just the necessary things they needed. They were expecting after all.

The months they waited were peaceful and without much problems. It proved that God was listening. 

However… labor came. 

Tom was not allowed to go in, like any other alpha or male betas. He had to trust the midwives to help his Harry live through and deliver their child safely. 

They had to, it was their job… 

But the cries of his mate in labor broke his heart. He wanted to rush in and comfort him, however, he felt helpless as he just stood outside. Panicking while walking in circles. His gut feeling was alerting him that something was gonna go wrong but he desperately tried not to believe it. Trying to just hope for the best. 

Tom didn’t know how many _minutes, or even hours,_ it took until one of the midwives came out to inform him that he was allowed to go in. Once he heard this, he had immediately dashed inside and there was a lot of blood, but Tom ignored it all to go towards his mate’s side. 

Both of them were breathing, slowly, but breathing. Something about that didn’t reassure him that they were fine… 

“Salazar… Thomas…” Harry managed to croak out, his eyes were sullen as he looked at their baby, he looked very tired and his skin was unusually pale. 

His mate looked dead.

Tom’s heart thumped in anxiety, the line connecting him and his mate was growing quickly weaker. 

It only took mere seconds after his appearance.

On the 1st of November, 12:04 am, Harry took his last breath, as did Salazar.

Were the prayers he devoted himself to thrice a day, when he could be spending it with Harry, all for nothing? How could God do this to him? For what reason did he lose his mate and their _child?_ If he had done something wrong, he should have taken the hit. Why them? 

Why?

Salazar has done nothing wrong, he hasn’t even done anything! 

_God, why? Why do you have to be so cruel? If you are so benevolent as you are frequently described as. Why kill his child? Or why kill any child at all?_

Tom could no longer bear to force himself to pray with the knowledge that God had willingly let his family die. If his prayers the previous months did nothing but make him lose precious time he could have given to Harry. Who’s saying his prayers right now would do anything? 

It went too fast… he wasn’t even able to say one last goodbye.

His dislike of the Christian Church started then, at first it started with his hesitancy to pray until it just went downhill there… how could he worship someone who ruined his life? Tom could have been sent to Hell and he was sure he’d rather be there than join God in Heaven. 

Those paintings that he did, which depicted God as cruel, was rather fun to paint. Especially when the priests didn’t even notice the hidden meaning. It fuelled his determination to paint. 

If Tom wasn’t stopped on a red light. He was sure he would have crashed his car and possibly killed this Harry… the thought hurt him too much for him to admit. He refocused his eye on the road, taking deep breaths and trying to push away the memory as he waited for the red light to turn green. 

Harry wasn’t crying but he was whimpering softly, almost unhearable if Tom wasn’t listening carefully. The alpha automatically started to release comforting pheromones and even went as far as to park his car shortly. Just to dig around the passenger seats from behind him for something, anything that would comfort Harry in his nightmare. 

He did find something, a coat that he found suitable enough. Although it already held his smell, he couldn’t stop himself from rubbing the coat on his scent glands, making sure it pretty much reeked of him. After that Tom carefully wrapped Harry with the coat, who, within mere seconds, burrowed into the coat. His tense eyebrows losing some of the pressure pressing on them. 

Tom was still driving, just a few minutes away from the cafe they were on that afternoon when Harry groggily opened his eyes. He looked disoriented and clearly didn’t realize where he was at as he closed his eyes and started to drift off to sleep yet again, sniffing a gratuitous amount of the scent from the coat above him… and was he purring??

He didn’t get to think about it much when Harry suddenly jerked and looked around, the coat almost falling from his body. His eyes landed on Tom’s amused visage before quickly looking down on the piece of clothing on his lap. 

“Um-” He starts but Tom interrupts him. 

“You looked like you were freezing and having a nightmare… I hope you don’t mind the coat and…” _the fact that you smell like me now_ was what left unsaid. And wasn’t that the truth, he could smell his scent on the omega and he would even daresay… Harry looked good with his scent all over him… 

Although he was still red in the face, he didn’t look as awkward. 

The green-eyed art student licked his lips. “Did I say anything weird?” 

“What do you mean?”

“I feel like I talk while sleeping, I’m not sure though. Since I don’t have a roommate.” 

Tom stayed silent for a moment, contemplating whether he should ask or not... “You did, Salazar Thomas. What were you dreaming about?”

Harry looked aghast, his shoulder drooped. He looked like he wanted to cry. 

Tom did too. 

“Is he... someone close to you?”

“No... just someone from the dream- I guess it’s a nightmare. That was terrifying... not in the horror way. But I really felt like I lost a child.” Harry says, laughing deprecatingly, not even minding how Tom stayed unusually silent as he drove. “I didn’t even know the kid for fuck’s sake, just a figment of my overactive imagination but he felt so real... Tom... it hurts...” 

Then a sob followed by sniffing immediately made Tom stop driving, even with his eyes already moistening. He caressed Harry’s cheek, ignoring the irritated honking from behind them, and wiped the falling tears with his thumb. The omega didn’t resist as Tom pulled him into a hug, who muffled his sobbing by covering his face on the crook of Harry’s neck. The man clutched his side and let out the uncontrollable tears. This was the first time Tom felt so comfortable showing some weakness in front of someone.

Neither knew how much time it was they sat there, just like that. Only really realizing that there are actual people behind the car, wanting to go home when they heard a knock on the window. 

Harry got out of his Tom’s arms, using his sleeves to wipe his tears as he sniffled.

“Don’t wipe too hard, your eyes are going to be red.” He says, grabbing the smaller man’s arms and glaring at the person on the other side of the window. It was a man, who looked at them awkwardly, knowing that he interrupted something. Which he did. 

Tom passes some tissue from the car compartment to Harry, who gratefully takes it and dries out his eyes and his nose as Tom begins driving again.

“...Thank you...” Harry says, his voice breaking. “For both that hug and the tissue... Sorry if I ruined your clothes.” 

Tom smiled, blinking away the tears still threatened to come out. “I told you, you are the last person I would consider a bother.” 

The smile the man gave him made his heart swell with tenderness. 

He wasn’t 100% sure he was his Harry, but how could he ever find out that he was correct unless Harry remembered his memories? However, the ‘nightmare’ he had was too specific for it to be a coincidence.

* * *

Harry directed Tom to his dorm building, it was only nearing 10 pm and the snow wasn’t much. So there were actually a few students lounging outside the buildings. 

He was hesitant to go, not really willing to part ways with the taller man right at that moment. But he couldn’t look desperate in front of him, Harry was sure he already bothered the man too much... with the crying and all. However, as he opened the door to the car. Tom did the same. 

“What are you doing?”

“I don’t feel safe with you going off alone,”

Harry flushes, “y-you-”

“‘You don’t have to do this’ was what you were going to say right? I don’t, but I want to.” 

He didn’t argue and let Tom go with him, flushing even harder when the alpha covered his small frame with the coat from previously and leaned in to whisper something. “Keep it and give it back to me tomorrow if you wish.” 

Honestly... did Tom really do it purposely or just really dense of how much it looked like they were dating. Some students were looking at them, it made Harry embarrassed. To make it worse, some of them recognized Harry and vice versa. He barely talked to those people, but the thing is, they still know each other!

The small walk wasn’t awkward, it was actually pretty comfortable but the eyes made him insecure. If Tom wasn’t beside him, he’d probably just run and try to hide somewhere. 

They both stopped at the entrance. 

“Are you sure you want me to have it until tomorrow? Isn’t it expensive?” Harry asks, looking at Tom. 

“Yes, I don’t even remember where I bought it, I’m sure it isn’t expensive. So, of course, it’s fine.”

Harry snorted, “yeah... not expensive, Tom. I think our definition of ‘not expensive’ is different.” 

Tom smiled and brushed away the hair on his face.

This guy really knows how to make Harry stare. 

“It’s not expensive for me, that’s the only important thing. It’s not going to be your problem if it’s ruined anyway.”

“Are you 100% sure?”

He just sighed helplessly, still smiling. “Yes, just take it, Harry. I’m sure you want to go inside.”

“Yeah, I’ll see you tomorrow?” Harry says, and even had the nerve to ask again for confirmation. He just wants to be 100% sure ok? 

“Of course, I’ll pick you up here?” 

“That’s fine... message me when you get home ok?” 

Tom’s smile seemed to widen at this, “worried for me now? No, just kidding, sure. See you tomorrow, _Harry._ ”

Said omega smiled and waved goodbye as the taller man started walking back. When he got inside, the RA, a female omega, Angelina Johnson was smirking at him. 

He immediately got nervous. 

“Who was that, Potter?” She asks.

Does she not recognize that guy as Tom Riddle? Considering how many people talk about him...

“Uh- a friend?” He says, somehow sounding unsure even when he knew himself that they weren’t dating. 

“Just a friend? You two sure looked close-” Angelina eyed the coat around his shoulders. “Friends don’t just give each other their coat y’know-”

“Angelina, Harry has a boyfriend!” A female alpha came barging in, her nose wrinkling after Tom’s scent entered her nostrils. She had long straight flaming red hair and bright brown eyes, with freckles covering her light skin. Well mostly her face. This was Ginevra Molly Weasley, she wasn’t a student in UCA but a student from a nearby university: Kingston. The only reason why he even knew her was because she was his best friend’s, Ron, younger sister, and because she used to have a crush on Harry. She had confessed but he rejected her. Ginevra was a nice person, but he just didn’t see her as anything more than a friend. 

It was awkward after that at first, until a few months later. She had started dating another omega, Luna Lovegood, an odd but quirky blond girl who was in the same dormitory as him. And Harry would see her a lot in the dorm, usually outside in the common room with Lovegood with her. They eventually started talking and actually became friends again. 

“I know! I can’t believe Harry got a boyfriend before me!” Angelina complained.

“He’s not my boyfriend! He’s just a friend!” Harry groaned out. 

Lovegood’s face popped up from behind her girlfriend. “That wasn’t what it looked like.”

“God, that’s literally the second time we’ve been called that! Why can’t an omega and an alpha just hang out?” 

“Because Harry, you two did look like you were dating.” The RA laughed. “Honey, I know you’ve never been in a relationship but both of your scents mingled with each other perfectly like couples!” 

Harry made a face before decidedly going up to his room, ignoring the three women’s protests.

They weren’t dating! Why can’t people just accept that?

...Although he wouldn’t mind if they were actually. 

Once finally in his room, he collapsed on the bed and sniffed the coat around. God, it was utterly divine. His omega purred just after having one sniff of the coat. 

This coat would probably be really... really wrinkled after he was done with it...

He just trusts that Tom would follow through what he said and wouldn’t be mad.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How did people find out that it was Bellatrix who was calling… literally gave no hints other than the fact that she uses she/her pronouns lmfao. 
> 
> And yes, SENZO is an actual cafe in Epsom in Surrey in the UK, near the University of Creative Arts (where Harry presumably studies). I also found out through their website that they don’t offer Fine Arts at UCA Epsom. I’m not really sure but if it’s true… we’re just going to sweep that under the rug...  
> The fictional Voldemort museum is in London but Tom lives in Watford.


	4. Second date, second chance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While waiting for Tom to come and pick him up, a certain alpha approaches him and Harry loses his temper. Tom is questionably… into this.   
> And also, Tom finally “confesses”.

Harry did check the brand of the coat. 

It was a Crombie coat. Of course, it was a designer coat and way too expensive for what it was. He almost started panicking if not for Tom’s message. 

8:08 am _**TOM:** Good morning, are you awake?_

It would probably be the only moment he would be _that_ excited. He quickly typed out a quick reply.

8:08 am _**HARRY:** Yeah i just woke up :] how was ur sleep?_

8:09 am _**TOM:** Better than most sleeps I have ever gotten actually_

8:10 am _**TOM:** What are you doing right now?_

8:11 am _**HARRY:** just lying in bed_

8:11 am _**HARRY:** goin to do bathroom rituals later_

8:12 am _**HARRY:** i normnally wake up at like 12 pm on sundays tbh_

8:15 am _**TOM:** Really? I wake up at 7 am everyday. It’s essentially programmed in my body, I don’t even need an alarm clock anymore._

Harry laughed, of course, he woke up at 7 am every single day with no exceptions.

Like an old man… 

8:16 am _**HARRY:** of course you do ur an old man_

8:17 am _**TOM:** That’s your come back? How low, Harry._

8:18 am _**TOM:** Exactly like your height. _

He immediately stopped. 

This guy thinks that he’s so funny huh?

He might be short but it could be an advantage! It was easier to kick knothead alphas like Tom in their balls!

Harry was ready to curse at this alpha when a notification popped up and interrupted his train of thought.

8:19 am _**TOM:** But very cute, it suits you :)_

He turned red.

* * *

Tom was driving, driving to Harry’s ‘omega only’ dormitory building, with a pleasant feel to him. He was excited, very much so. Why wouldn’t he be? He’s spending an (probably) entire day with a certain green-eyed uni student. And they were going to walk on a trail. Where no one would interrupt their ‘bonding’. 

However as he neared the building, his smile disappeared as fast as a frown came to replace it. 

Tom scowled as a man, clearly an alpha, with dark hair and dark brown eyes talked with Harry, who was standing with a guarded and tense stance, his arms crossed.

Why is the omega he chose had to be so popular with arsehole alphas approaching him?

These were the kind of alphas that gave them a bad rep and it disgusted him. 

He got out of the car and slammed the door closed, locking it too just in case. He didn’t run or jog but his pace was fast. Within a few seconds, he was already near them, catching the last few words the vile alpha had said. 

“-waiting for, won’t come. Who would want an omega like you?” 

Harry’s glare was of disgust and he looked annoyed. He didn’t seem to notice Tom coming up from behind the alpha. 

He was about to interrupt when Harry opened his mouth, unable to control his patience anymore. And Tom was rooted in his place, unable to move as his eyes watched in fascinated attraction as Harry clenched his jaw, his usually relaxed eyebrows knitting themselves in place, as a murderous growl threatened to bubble out of his throat. 

“Okay, you know what? _Fuck_ off, Davies! And specifically, fuck. you! I knew you were never a good person and oh I’m so fucking glad I never went with you! I have no fucking clue why students in this goddamn school like you so much when you’re just a desperate little bitch if you don’t get shit that you want!-”

Although he couldn’t see his face from behind him. By the way the alpha’s shoulder shook in anger, Tom knew the unknown man’s expression wasn’t any different than Harry’s. However, he didn’t dare to interrupt as he knew very well just by looking at the emotions in his eyes. Harry could easily deal with this. 

“You- how dare an omega like you talk to me in that way?!?!” The unknown alpha approached him even closer and stood above him, trying to intimidate the smaller omega. But Harry didn’t once falter as he suddenly kicked him, in the nuts. 

Tom wasn’t the one who got kicked, thankfully it was an arsehole alpha, but that didn’t mean he didn’t feel the same pain the alpha probably went through. 

“Don’t come near me again! I’m sure _people_ would like to know how you tried to attack an innocent omega!”

He quickly evacuated the area, the green-eyed man still looked miffed and his cheeks were still red and puffed up. However, instead of finding it terrifying, Tom instead laughed. 

Harry finally saw him after his loud snort and out of shock, his eyes dilated and his eyebrows almost hit his hairlines. The red hue of embarrassment quickly running up to overtake the anger out of his face. 

“You- that- that was fucking brilliant, Harry!” Tom managed to say, approaching him and patting his head. Harry made a face. “I’m proud of you.” 

“I hate cursing but man... I told you I’m so used to those kinds of alphas.” 

“They give us, other alphas, a bad rep. It’s quite annoying.”

He hesitantly lets go of the shorter man, who had to bend down to reach the bag on the ground. 

Tom did not stare at his arse. 

At least not purposely. 

Harry hands him the coat he had given him the previous night. “You said it wasn’t expensive, you’re a liar. It’s Crombie.” 

He sneakily took a sniff of the coat, somehow without the other noticing, and the familiar sweet scent of an omega intruded his nose, and just smelling the strong scent of Harry made him feel at peace inside. The scent of jasmine flowers intermingling with the pleasant aroma of coconut smelled like home, and he desperately wanted to bury his nose in the coat. Tom had smelled his scent before, although they weren’t as intense as this, and Tom always tended to smell a vanilla scent that he felt was very out of place. 

“I don’t know if my scent is on it, sorry if that’s the-”

“Harry, do you use scent suppressants?” Tom couldn’t help but ask. However, he immediately regretted opening his mouth after just a second. He, of all people, should know that asking if omegas used scent suppressants, was inappropriate, especially since they aren’t even family or dating.

Thankfully though, Harry didn’t seem to realize (or he did and he just didn’t mind that Tom asked) how odd the question was. “Uh, no? I use perfume, a vanilla one. I don’t need one anyway.” 

People usually don’t use scent suppressants unless they were in a really cramped, public setting. Where scents could become overwhelming and/or a hassle for others. Omegas just use heat suppressants if they really need it, and depending on what kind of suppressants, it could also mute their scents. Perfumes were a lot popular, as it was good for masking people’s individual scents (and their secondary gender sometimes) since like being in cramped spaces. Some scents can potentially be bothersome- 

Wait a minute.

Did he just say he was using a vanilla-scented perfume?

Oh my fucking god. 

The intrusive vanilla scent he had been smelling in Harry’s scent was the perfume. And Tom had been able to smell his real scent even with the perfume trying to hide it. 

Tom knew by now that he liked Harry very much, his heart was willing to let him in. For fuck’s sake, he was the only one since his Harry who was able to make his heart beat so damn hard and make him worry about him when Tom could care less if other omegas cried in front of him. 

“Tom? You okay?” Harry’s soft, concerned voice broke him out of his trance of somehow-not-noticing-the-fact-that-the-alpha-inside-him-liked-this-omega-from-the-start.

“Yes, sorry... and it’s fine, your scent smells good anyway.”

* * *

.... 

......

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Tom finds his scent good!!! DOES THIS GUY NOT KNOW HOW SUGGESTIVE THAT SOUNDED?!?!?

Honestly, everything that the handsome alpha in front of him says couldn’t stop his omega heart from fluttering like a lovesick fool. He rarely blushes, let alone get flustered easily. But these last two days have him blushing like 50% of the entire day, probably over halfway. To make it worse, he couldn’t even get mad at Tom for it. 

Because he thinks... he might have a small crush on him like 90% of the omegas and female betas in his university (maybe even some alphas or male betas). Can you blame him? Tom was not only handsome and exactly his type, but he was also very nice. You don’t see many single alphas like that anymore. 

Oh only if he had a chance with him. Wouldn’t that be nice? 

Harry helped Tom drive to the Headley Heath Trail, so he could focus on driving instead of looking at a GPS. His sharp memory proved to be useful as they only needed less than 15 minutes to get there. There were some people there, tourists, families and even some couples. 

A side glance to the side led him to read a sign proclaiming that the trail gave couples discounts. He wondered how many people had already lied just to get the discount. 

Before they could get out, however, Harry stopped Tom, who raised a questioning look at him. 

“Is something the matter?”

“Wouldn’t people recognize you?” He asks, the alpha just laughs. 

“Last time at SENZO and yesterday night, no one recognized me, did they? Don’t worry, Harry, I won’t get recognized.”

Although he doubted that, he trusted Tom. 

And Tom proved to be right, no one as much gave him a second glance. Not a second glance that says that they recognized him, just interested glances which triggered Harry’s jealousy.

This should be normal for him, Tom was handsome, of course, people would look. 

However, even if he knew this, he couldn’t stop himself from grabbing onto the taller man’s jacket out of just sheer possessiveness. Tom had noticed and stopped, but instead of brushing off his hand as Harry expected. The alpha suddenly took his hand and locked his hand with his. This small, yet delicate action made him blush. 

This was only the beginning of the day and he had already lost count of how many times he blushed. 

The ones who were staring looked away after seeing their connected hands. 

Tom didn’t look at him, but the squeeze he gave Harry and the thumb caressing his own so lovingly, was enough for him to tell that yes, he was smiling as he was. 

Harry was already envious thinking about the lucky person who Tom will fall for. 

“Hello, welcome to Headley Heath trail!” The man behind the counter says, smiling widely as he looked at their interlaced hands. “A couple then?”

The man in front of him didn’t say anything and waited for Harry, who thought back to the discount. “Yes,”

Tom clearly didn’t expect that answer but didn’t dare dispute anything, he just gave Harry’s hand a squeeze again. But it wasn’t tight enough to hurt him. 

When they were allowed into the lush trail, the alpha had retracted his hand but he quickly wrapped it around his shoulder, pulling him closer and pressing his mouth intimately close to his ear. “I’m surprised you didn’t even reject it this time.”

The blush on his face was still prominently bright. “Didn’t you notice we got a discount for that?”

Tom suddenly went silent before removing his arm on him and laughing. 

Harry looked at him worriedly, “you don’t mind do you?”

“Of course not, I just didn’t expect that haha...” 

He raises his arm and gestures towards it and Harry’s shoulder. The omega just laughed and nodded to allow Tom to wrap a possessive arm over him. It felt nice... even if he knew it wouldn’t last.

They took the seemingly most ‘challenging’ path as barely anyone even got near it. And they would like to be alone, away from the prying eyes of the people, thank you very much. 

They walked down the up and down path for a few minutes, just looking and breathing in the fresh air of the lush, greenery around them, when Tom broke the silence. 

By this time, Tom had already dropped his hand out of exhaustion. 

“What’s even inside your bag?”

“I don’t exactly know how many minutes this trail takes, since why would I take the hardest one? But I’m sure I took some breaks to eat now and then.” 

The alpha suddenly made a face and slapped himself. “I didn’t even think about that...”

“I know,” Tom’s eyes search his own questioningly. “I purposely brought two bottles of water and some food for us both. Because I knew you probably wouldn’t think about this stuff.” 

“Wow, I sure am lucky alpha to have a boyfriend like you then.” He says and both of them laughed. “But seriously, I’m sure your future spouse would be very lucky for having you.”

Harry smiles sadly, “I don’t think I’m going to marry anyone, even if I wanted to. Like you said I attract the bad kind of alphas haha...”

In a deeper part of him, although he aggressively drowned out the dream of finally marrying someone (like Tom here). He knew that he always wanted to have a family, a loving one like his parents had. But the dream he had yesterday... the thought of losing a child he wanted to nurture and love scared him to death. 

He was only 22... just still barely an adult and in his last year in university. Why was he thinking about having a family already? He should be busy with just passing uni, although it’s nothing like anything could possibly ruin his chances. There was nothing he had done worthy enough to get him kicked out. 

“No, you just haven’t found the one,” Tom replies and smiles at him. 

“Well, they’re taking a damn long time.” 

He chuckles, “how old are you? Surely, it’s because they think you’re too young.”

“I’m 22, how old are you even?”

“I’m five years older than you then, I’m 27. You’re still in university, I’m sure they’ll pop up after you graduate or maybe they’re already there, just waiting for their chance.” 

Harry shook his head and snorted. 

“Good luck to them, I barely get attracted to anyone and I have a specific type.”

“A type? I’m intrigued.”

“Actually, you’re my exact type, Tom.”

He started laughing hysterically when Tom almost tripped on nothing. “Ah, yes, watching someone tripping on nothing is very funny.”

“It’s funny because it’s you, dumbass. You’re so dignified and look so prideful, watching you fall is like watching an infamous king trip and stumble down.”

“So that’s your type then?” Tom smirks, “dignified and prideful like kings alphas?” 

“Hmmm... not really, I guess it’s more of an appearance thing. Really tall, handsome, dark hair and eyes and defined facial structures. I had a boyfriend once, he’s a lot like you except you’re an emo and he’s a jock. You two are like the polar opposites of each other, but you two are actually pretty similar now that I think about it.” He says, not noticing the flicker of _something_ in the alpha’s eyes as he stared at him.

* * *

He felt a burn of jealousy eating away at him. Why? Tom himself didn’t even know. They clearly weren’t dating anymore and it wasn’t as if he was any competition. Besides the last time he heard, he was exactly Harry’s type. 

Well even if he was still in his heart, Tom would make sure Harry would forget about him. As he said, Tom was a dignified king and he wasn’t about to be beaten by another alpha. 

“Had? If you don’t mind me asking, what happened with him?”

“Ah- I got with him after he broke up with his long time girlfriend. And I knew he still loved her, but because he couldn’t say no after I asked him out... because you don’t say no to omegas who had the balls to confess, what bullshit...” Harry pauses to laugh. “We got together, he was very nice and didn’t really think about dumping or cheating on me when his ex was willing to get back together. I heard them talk once and he said that he couldn’t bear to be a jerk towards someone who likes him. I finally opened my eyes after that and I think I broke up with him just after a few days. Some people are just unreachable.”

“Sorry...” Tom says, not really knowing what to say. 

“Nah, it’s fine. I’m glad I finally have someone I can share my sad love life with. I’m over it anyway.” Harry replies, smiling softly and easily brings back the peaceful and serene atmosphere. 

And Tom will play along. 

“Harry, at least you actually had an ex.”

“What do you mean? Surely a hunk of a man like you would have side hoes.”

He wrinkled his nose in disgust. “Please don’t ever call me that ever again.”

Harry giggled at his reaction. 

“I’m 27, still a virgin, and have had no dating experience before. At least you’re not that pathetic.” 

Well, he had one dating experience but it wasn’t in this life. So, not a complete lie. 

“Tom, my ex barely counts as one. It was more like a friend with benefits type of deal without the sex if anything. I didn’t even lose my virginity, thank fuck to that, we have so many teen pregnancies here in the UK. I mean there’s even a tv program for that!”

“Can I ask something?” Harry asks, looking up at him as they settle on the bench. It was slightly damp from the melted snow but overall dry enough for both of them. 

“Sure, fire away,”

“You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to, but since you found out about my boyfriend- even indirectly- I’m curious about your family. If they’re any like my family, they would be quite obsessed with wanting you to marry someone.” 

Tom grins, “good thing they’re not here anymore, right?”

Harry suddenly went rigid, his shoulder went stiff and the air between them became awkward so suddenly. 

The alpha just smiled, unbothered. “Don’t worry, Harry, it’s not a sensitive subject. They didn’t really feel like my family anyway...” 

Not even the family he remembered to have in his past life. It was all Harry.

“Were you and your family...erm... not close?” The green-eyed man looked up curiously, quietly opening his backpack and offering an opened bag of chips at him. 

Tom picked one and tested it first, before deciding that he did like it and reached for another one. He didn’t really eat junk foods as he didn’t see the point in eating when you’re not hungry, and even if you were. Why would you eat junk food? They’re not healthy and wouldn’t fill you up. That’s why they’re called ‘junk food’ after all. 

Yes, he knew very well that sounded very old of him. 

“Not really, I won’t say they’re horrible nor good parents. They’re right in the middle of the spectrum.” Tom paused to take a look at Harry, who was munching on chips, his mouth already becoming messy. He couldn’t help but reach out and wipe the crisps. Harry flushed and Tom couldn’t drop his hand. The other man didn’t look like he minds, he just looked surprised. “I was the result of a one night stand you know.”

He didn’t wait for Harry’s shock to come down when he spoke again. “My mother… was just slightly obsessed with my father and I didn’t even meet the man until I was eight or so. When they got together, probably because I turned out to be his son. They tried to get me to open up and specifically my father wanted to bond with me… since I was his heir and all. He told me about the Riddles, and how they were descendants, although indirect, of the painter ‘Voldemort’. He also told me that since I was his only son, all the responsibilities will be given to me once I was old enough. I found my first interest there, painting and conservation. That’s where all my interests lied actually. And the rest of my life story is as generic as a piece of paper. I’m sure you know what happened to my parents.”

“Yes… car accident… you were 19 right? I can’t imagine losing both of my parents at such a young age. I’m sorry…”

“It’s fine really, Harry. I didn’t even feel sad. I guess that’s what I felt mostly bad for.” Tom says, waving off the apologies. If anything, he’s the one who should be apologizing for even admitting that. “My parents aren’t like yours, they don’t really bug me for marriage or anything. Although I knew they were slightly worried.” He adds, hoping to change the focus on something else. 

“Not even one slight crush?” Harry asks finally, letting him heave a large breath. 

“Does a crush on a painting count?”

The omega rapidly blinks his eyes before asking again, hesitantly. “On a what?”

“A painting, I fell in love with one, specifically the main Potterer painting.” 

Harry snorts loudly, forgetting all about decorum. Although it wasn’t like Tom minded. He rather liked the other man like this. 

“Yes, I know it’s ridiculous but…” 

“But why that painting?”

Tom raises an eyebrow, “pardon me?”

“Why that painting? It’s just a painting of an unknown omega doing pottery. There are other portrait paintings that Voldemort had made and you fell in love with the Potterer?- Wait! That came out wrong! I’m not trying to insult the painting… it’s just…” 

“You don’t like the painting?”

“Um… the painting is definitely his best one, I have to agree but my reason for hating the painting will sound kind of dumb.” 

“It’s fine, I’m sure you have a good reason.”

Oh… the alpha had no intention to release his anger out on Harry, but the flame of irritation still burned. Until it was quickly doused by what the same omega said. 

“No, it’s really dumb. I don’t hate the painting itself nor the painter, I hate the person in it, it’s annoying y’know. When people only recognize you as the one who looked like the person in a famous painting. And not as an actual individual.” 

Tom couldn’t stop the uncontrollable giggle that bubbled out of his throat. But he immediately tried to drown out his laugh when the green-eyed omega beside him started to look disheartened. 

“I assure you, it’s not dumb. I understand, but you shouldn’t be bothered by those kinds of comments. Instead, you should use them as motivation, motivation for proving that you are much more than a lookalike.” 

Harry took a second to reply, fiddling with his fingers. “It’s easier said than done, but thank you…” He didn’t dare look up and bit his lip. 

He looked like he really wanted to say something. 

“Well?”

“I’ve been meaning to ask since you said you had a thing for the Potterer painting.” Harry starts, still unsure but his voice never wavered. “Did you only consider me as a friend because I look like the painting?”

Tom knew that this question was going to come eventually. “No, I would have the opposite reaction. I consider you as one because something about you lures me in.” 

While it was the fact that Harry looked like his Harry that caught his interest. He wouldn’t go out of his way to befriend someone like him if that was his main motivation. There was just something that lured him into Harry. 

“I trust you.”

Tom smiled then. 

The thunder roared and the sky started to take in the color grey. The two men were almost at the exit of the trail, laughing and talking with each other. 

“Seems like it’s going to rain,” Tom says as if Harry didn’t hear the same sound as he did. 

“Hopefully, it won’t be heavy. That’s going to suck.”

Then a drop of water. 

Both of them looked at each other and started jogging towards the exit in a quick phase. Not even minding the mud their pants were being soaked with. Until… Harry fell after stepping on a rather slippery mud puddle. Tom did try to help but he ended up just falling as well. Their mouths and teeth crashing into each other like it was meant to happen. They stayed in that position, with Harry straddling Tom and their mouths still glued together in an accidental kiss that somehow turned into a romantically chaste one. 

Mind you, they were still sitting on a mud puddle. 

They finally let go of each other’s lips from lack of air. The couple stared at each other, Tom mischievously placed his palms on the other man’s pants covered thighs. 

“When I imagined us kissing, I didn’t expect it to be because we slipped on a mud puddle.”

A thick layer of pink dusted Harry’s cheeks and he quickly covered his face with his palms. “I-”

He giggled and pried Harry’s hands open from his face. “You stole my first kiss, the least you could do is showing me your face, Harry.”

* * *

He ended up accepting Tom’s offer of going to his hotel room to change. Harry didn’t see or feel any deceptions nor anything he should be worried about from Tom. He was hesitant to just go directly to his dorm, Angelina would go bat shit if he leaves dirt on the floor. But really… he should have expected that the alpha had rented a hotel room in the most expensive hotel in Epsom. If he actually remembered that Tom was a rich guy and a celebrity conservationist, then maybe he would have been a lot hesitant actually accepting. 

Harry tried burying his face in a clean spot of Tom’s windbreaker jacket after seeing the entrance of the hotel. Then held tighter to the alpha when he felt eyes on them. He heard a low chuckle from Tom who reached to hold his hand tightly. 

He only let go when they entered an elevator alone, his hand was, however, still clutched inside the alpha’s. 

“Why didn’t you tell me that…”

“You would refuse to come with me,” Tom says, confidently. And he had every right to be because what he said was true. “I had to find a way to let you know where I’m staying.”

“You could have texted me…”

“But would you visit?”

Harry went silent, Tom just smiled. “Harry, just ignore their eyes. You don’t know them, nor do they know you. If they talk, ignore their voices, they don’t matter. Just focus on me, which I’d rather have you do anyway, if it’s too hard.”

He stepped out of the bathroom, sneaking a look to Tom, who was organizing his and Harry’s muddy clothes. Unperturbed about the dirt staining his perfect hands. He turned back to the bathroom and closed the door just to look at himself in the mirror again. The alpha’s clothes were too big for him, his fingertips could barely be seen because of the high turtleneck shirt’s (which was by the way thin) sleeve and Tom’s smallest jeans looked more like pyjamas when he was wearing them. 

Really the only thing good about the whole outfit was that he was very comfortable and Harry smelled very much like him. And Tom who sensed him getting out of the shower looked pleased as he looked at him up and down, pleased that Harry was wearing his clothes specifically. He knew how most alphas would find pleasure in seeing their omegas in their clothes and with their scent all over them. 

Harry lets Tom approach him and caress his cheeks with his warm, clean palms. 

“Tom, what are we?”

“Will you let me court you, Harry?”

…. 

Haha…. 

Who knew

He actually had a chance. 

His omega purred and Tom’s alpha reacted accordingly. The alpha sensed his delight and smiled sweetly. 

His cheeks turning into a lovely red, Harry knew exactly what to say. 

“Yes!!”

* * *

“It’s kind of unfair, you know.” 

Tom let out a barely audible ‘hmm?’, too busy overzealously trying to cover Harry with his scent to even reply with his voice. He couldn’t help it. 

He wouldn’t let go of this Harry. Not after what happened in the past. 

Harry looked up at him with his big, radiant green eyes. “Your bed is ridiculously soft, I feel like I could sleep here any time.”

“My offer still stands, stay the night here.” 

He laughs, “you didn’t need to go all the way to make me your friend before asking me out. I’m pretty sure I would still yes if you just asked me.” Harry says. 

Tom shook his head, “I didn’t do it to ask you out, I genuinely wanted to be your friend. Falling in love was a bonus.” He says, pulling the omega closer to him and then closing his eyes slowly. Harry softly held onto him and started to instinctively rub his wrist against his scent glands located on his neck. 

A sharp ringing sound broke them out of their musing. Out of shock, the one on top of him shuffled out his embrace. Tom opened his eyes and glared at his phone lying on the bedside table as if the look alone would be able to stop it from ringing. He honestly hoped to whatever the hell was up there that it did happen. 

He reached for it and his scowl deepened. It’s her again. 

Tom almost forgot about her and her threats. He looked at Harry, he was about to just hang up when the other man suddenly stood up after looking at the clearing skies outside. 

“Answer it, I should probably be going now…” 

“But-”

“Really, it’s fine, Tom.” Harry smiles at him, grabbing the bag filled with his dirty clothes. 

“Are you sure? I can drive you. This call isn’t really important anyway.” Tom asks, grabbing his phone with his thumb hovering on the red hang-up button. 

“I’m sure, the walk to the dorm isn’t that long and it’s just 5 PM, it’s not even dark yet.” 

He still looked unsure but nodded anyway, reaching for Harry to give him a goodbye kiss. Which earned him a soft blush and squeal from the omega. “Text me when you get home ok?”

Tom waited for Harry to close the door to accept the call. His mood dropping immediately before even hearing her shrill voice. 

“ _Took you long enough to answer._ ”

“ _What do you fucking want?_ ” 

“ _Rude,_ ” Bellatrix snorted. “ _I just came to tell you about your loverboy._ ”

Tom growled and he felt great satisfaction hearing the damned bint’s squeak from the other end. “ _Don’t you fucking touch him, I’ll make sure your reputation would get blown off after I’m done with you._ ”

“ _That’s why I’m calling you right now. We can have a compromise._ ” 

“ _Like what?_ ” 

“ _Apologize to me in public._ ” 

What the fuck, is this bitch really this brainless? Last time he checked, he had no reason to apologize to her- in public no less.

“ _Fuck you,_ ” he says and quickly hangs up. Was she really expecting him to apologize to her? After getting him involved in countless scandals that didn’t even have anything to do with him? 

What could this beta even do?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tom was supposed to be the one who saves Harry from Davies… but I had a thought, man, I don’t want to show that Harry is a helpless, weak omega. 
> 
> The trail (Headley Heath) Tom and Harry went on is real but I just used the name.


	5. The calm before the storm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry gets dragged to a pub but this time something rather… unpleasant almost happens if not for Tom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  ~~This is like almost a day late to the normal upload schedule lmfao~~  
>  Two more chapters ahhhh
> 
> This is where the the “Date Rape Drug” tag comes in, nothing really happens tho

Harry underestimated the light rain, although he wasn’t even soaking. He was very much shivering and he was a bit afraid of the fact that he might catch a cold. 

The few betas and alphas in the room bristled as soon as Harry entered the room, a shudder going up against their spine. He raised an eyebrow but shook his head at this. The air from the outside shouldn’t be that cold. 

The moment Harry touched the stair railing, someone spoke. “Potter, why do you smell like an alpha, who is about to pounce on us any time?” 

Ah that was why… 

He liked Tom’s scent, so he never really thought about how the scent actually felt like. Which he now realized was actually very possessive-like. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Lovegood looking at him up and down. 

“Nice clothes,” she says, drawing attention to the pieces of clothing he was wearing. Goddammit.

“Those aren’t your clothes, Harry. Got laid?” Angelina says, laughing afterward.

Harry turned red out of embarrassment. “No!” He didn’t get laid, but he did somehow get a boyfriend (who he hoped won’t turn out like Cedric). 

Should he say anything about him? 

Harry pondered with the same question for a moment before deciding; no. Although Tom clearly doesn’t see himself as a celebrity, he was still a public figure and Harry knew how people would go nuts if they found out that “The Potterer” lookalike was dating Tom Riddle, who also looked very much like (presumably) Voldemort’s self-portrait of himself. 

“Those clothes look too big for you, where’d you get it then?” She tried probing. 

“None of your business,” he didn’t wait to hear their reply and quickly ran up the stairs to his room. 

Harry threw the bag with his muddy clothes beside his desk and took out his phone, writing a quick message to Tom. 

5:45 pm _**HARRY:** im back home _

5:45 pm _**HARRY:** btw is there a specific way to wash these clothes you gave me?_

_RIIING_

He almost dropped his phone but managed to answer it anyway. Tom’s face appeared on his phone and Harry smiled automatically. The alpha followed suit.

“ _A rather unusual question, did something happen to it?_ ” Tom asks. 

“ _No, not really. It’s just I got wet and I’m afraid that the clothes I borrowed might have been too._ ”

“ _Take off your clothes, Harry._ ” 

He blinks, then again and then again. “ _What???_ ” 

“ _You got wet, take off your clothes. You might get a cold._ ”

“ _Oh… I thought you…_ ” 

The alpha laughs out loud. “ _I’m not that shameless, we’ve only been dating for less than a day. It’s too early anyway._ ”

And Harry agreed. He positioned his phone on the side of his MacBook then went to his closet to grab some comfortable shorts he could slip into and a hoodie.

* * *

Tom said he wasn’t shameless enough to ask him to strip for him, yet he’s lying on his bed pretty much staring at the omega on the phone strip down to his underwear. Without even having the decency to look away to provide him some sort of privacy. They were dating now… so Tom shouldn’t feel too ashamed about admitting to ogling him… right?

His legs looked smooth, and Tom already knew they would be very soft to the touch. And god, those shorts weren’t helping anything. They showcased his one hell of a rump very well, unlike those jeans he had given him. 

“ _You’re not going outside with that shorts are you?_ ” He couldn’t but ask. 

“ _Umm… if I’m hungry, yeah. Do you have a problem with that?_ ” Harry asks back, dragging his hoodie down to hide the upper half of his thighs. 

“ _It’s just-_ ” Tom stops to think. Thinking about how he should phrase his sentence. “ _I don’t want anyone to see what’s mine… y’know?_ He says, almost unsurely. 

His sharp laughter caught Tom off guard. “ _Jealous are you?_ ” 

The alpha’s ears turned red in shame about being caught red-handed. 

“ _Don’t worry, Tom. I’m messing with you. It’s a Sunday night anyway, so it should be just my dorm mates hanging around._ ” Harry says, smiling as he took his phone from where he placed it. “ _Plus, your scent on me would be enough to deter anyone from approaching me anyway._ ”

Tom’s alpha purred, hearing what his omega had to say. “ _Good, they know that you aren’t someone to mess with._ ” 

It’s been a few days, although Tom wanted to spend the entire week with Harry. He was still a university student, had classes, coursework, and homework to do, honestly, Tom wasn’t even sure how he survived his university years. Harry did his best to free up some time, but it was usually either him visiting Harry or Harry visiting him, and he did his homework/coursework that way while talking or bantering with Tom. It sounded like a bad idea, especially since it was clear that the omega couldn’t focus. 

Although it seemed like Harry couldn’t stay too far away from him, just like Tom. 

It was Wednesday evening, one of those days where Harry was busier than usual. It pained him not being able to talk to him to make sure he was fine. Tom knew he was fine, but the alpha inside of him said otherwise and was rather paranoid, whimpering, and begging to be around Harry. It was annoying, it wasn’t like he was helpless. He knew very well that Harry could probably take care of himself, he didn’t look like the type to take any shit. But just as Tom thought that he was finally calming down, a sudden anxious feeling overtook him. Not the nervous kind, but one of dread. 

A feeling he rarely felt. And it wasn’t welcome. 

Jumping out of his bed, he stood up straight and looked around, trying to sense for possible danger. But there was nothing. Absolutely nothing that would indicate danger towards himself. 

Tom tried to will himself to sit still and just watch TV, but he was feeling very, very uneasy. The intense discomfort eventually led him outside to the parking lot to drive around Epsom. Until his instinct told him to stop in front of a Gastropub. ‘The Brook’ as it was called according to the huge sign. 

The sky was clear but it was already getting dark. He had been sitting there for at least five minutes, yet his hand nor his legs weren’t willing to move. His breathing was ragged as if he was running for miles and his heart trashed inside his ribs. Beating too hard for his liking. 

Tom didn’t know how many minutes it took before his hands quickly unlocked the car to go outside, not even bothering to power off the car. It was like his limbs had a mind of its own. He was about to force himself to go inside again; he wasn’t properly dressed in just his t-shirt and he was sure he’d freeze to death if he didn’t go inside. Then he heard a familiar voice. 

“Let go!” A voice slurred out and his head was instantly on them. 

“You’re way too drunk, you should just let your alpha take care of you.”

“Fuck-”

Harry was being held by an unfamiliar dark-haired alpha intimately. If Tom didn’t know better, he would think they were a normal couple with the omega drunk out of his mind. But he knew who the omega was, and he sure wasn’t that fucking alpha’s. 

With a guttural growl, he went- ran- towards the two and shoves the man who was holding his omega. He accidentally lets go of Harry, who looked at Tom in shock.

“What the fuck man?” He says, glaring at him but Tom was having none of that. 

“I should ask you that, what are you fucking doing with _my_ omega?” Tom managed to say. 

“Your omega? Mate, are you drunk?”

Forgetting all about manners, he grabs him by the collar and despite the almost to none height difference. He managed to lift him up. “I’m not, you are.”

Although there weren’t very many people, this scene caused a few people to stop and stare. Probably expecting to watch two drunk alphas fight for an omega. 

It displeased him. 

The other alpha’s hands went cold but he was determined to keep himself fearless. Being intimidated by another alpha’s presence was a critical strike to an alpha’s pride after all. 

“You sure you want to do this here? You don’t even have evidence that he’s your omega! He’s very clearly mine, why weren’t you here if you’re his alpha?” The alpha taunts and Tom’s grip tightened out of rage. 

He dug his fingernails into his palms and he was about to use his fist to beat this guy to a pulp when Harry suddenly called out, finally finding his voice. 

“Tom! No!” 

With no hesitance, Tom immediately dropped the alpha in his hand and ran towards Harry, whose legs were wobbly as he tried to stand up. 

“Are you mad? You might get arrested for aggravated assault-”

“What happened?” He asks, ignoring the ‘he could be arrested part’. As right now, he didn’t really care if he did. 

“Date rape drug-” Harry says, holding his alpha for support. 

Hearing that, the other alpha quickly fled before Tom could even hunt him down. However, his rage was replaced with worry when Harry suddenly lost control of his muscles. 

The alpha’s heart thumped and the alpha in him was whimpering in anxiety. He quickly carried him to his car. Ignoring the other people who continued to stare. 

In hindsight, he should have driven to the hospital to make sure Harry was safe but what’s done was done. The omega was safely sleeping, tucked away in the hotel bed. But Tom was still very much awake and still restless. What could have happened if he hadn’t been there?? 

Tom knew it was better not to think about it since it did NOT happen. But his overactive imagination had a completely different idea. 

He kneeled beside the bed and repeatedly ran his hand through Harry’s hair, who seemed to sense his presence as he leaned onto it, purring softly. Tom smiled as he stared at the omega’s serene expression. He didn’t know whether he planned to stay like that for hours on end but it didn’t matter as a phone started ringing. Not his but Harry’s. 

Turning to look at it. 

Ron 

Against his better judgment, he took the phone and answered the call, walking towards the bathroom to talk. 

“ _Harry! Mate, you scared me! Where are you? I didn’t notice you disappear from the pub!_ ” 

So this was the person he could only assume to have invited him. Wasn’t this the same person who had dragged him to a party that Saturday? 

With a barely hidden sneer, he says. “ _He almost got taken by a stranger, with a fucking date rape drug._ ”

The other line went silent. “ _Oh._ ”

“ _Oh? Oh???? That’s what you can say? What kind of a fucking friend are you?_ ” Tom growled out, enraged. Is this what kind of friends Harry has??? He deserved better!

“ _I- I don’t know what to say!- wait, who even are you? Why do you have Harry’s phone?! If anyone’s guilty here, it’s you!_ ”

What is this beta doing? Is he trying to shift the focus on something else? What a coward!

“ _Don’t shift the focus, bastard. I’m his alpha. If I wasn’t there, what would you think would happen to him?!?_ ” 

“ _He- he has an alpha? I knew it! He was acting strange-_ ” 

“ _Stop shifting the subject, you vain beta!_ ” Tom didn’t need to see what the beta did on the other end of the line, he already knew he flinched. Just like everyone who was faced with his wrath. 

“ _I-it isn’t my fault! Someone-_ ” The beta tried to say but he just scoffed. 

“ _You perfectly know it is your fault, don’t put the blame on someone else._ ”

Blinded with so much anger, he didn’t even consider Bellatrix having done something. He knew very well that she could stoop that low, as long as she gets what she wanted.

“ _I-I’m s-sorry!!!! I-I wouldn’t h-have done anything if I-I it w-was gonna h-happen!!_ ” The beta whimpered. 

“ _Why are you apologizing to me? Apologize to Harry. But I don’t even know if I want you to see him._ ”

* * *

“Who did you commission to paint this? Harry asks, looking at an overtly exaggerated painting of his fiance. Although he did consider Cedric or more appropriate said: Lord Diggory as handsome. The brush strokes used were unusually pronounced and the color was too excessive. Like the artist was trying too hard to make him more handsome than Cedric really is and failing. 

“An amateur painter, Tom Riddle. Although he’d rather be called by his pseudonym Voldemort. He’s a traveling artist I guess you could say. It was merely by coincidence I met him in one of my travels. He has quite a reputation already.” He says, “why? Don’t like it?”

“I’m not the type to judge the art of other people.” Harry started, approaching the canvas. “But no, I don’t necessarily like it much.”

Cedric laughs sharply, “you are quite hard to please.”

“Cedric, I want to meet him. Although I don’t necessarily like it, I think it’s mostly because I don’t understand why it is what it is.” 

He raises an eyebrow but decides not to question it, instead deciding to wave down a servant to hunt down Voldemort and invite him. 

Cedric was one of those rare alphas you’d typically never see. He was kind and respectful of Harry’s boundaries, and he knew how painful it was for him to be engaged off to a strange alpha. 

It was one of the reasons why he found him quite an ideal alpha for him. Not perfect, but ideal. 

A few weeks later, the mysterious amateur artist came with barely any interest until… Harry came to greet him. 

“Hello, you’re Tom Riddle- oh, I mean Voldemort correct?” The omega tilted his head and smiled sweetly. Voldemort was absolutely taken, as was his breath. His heart skipped a beat. 

“Tom Riddle is fine, madam..?” 

Harry suddenly made a face. “It’s Harry Potter, just call me Harry please. I don’t deserve the title madam. Not yet at least.”

“Oh? Surely your beauty can compensate for it, no?” Voldemort says, quickly turning red and holding his mouth closed.

“You’re funny.” 

Hours passed as Harry listened to the artist talk passionately about his art, and he found himself mesmerized. His ears would turn red out of shyness and he would dare even say he would get butterflies in his stomach whenever the artist would look at him. It was a feeling he had never felt before. This was the first time. 

And he wasn’t the only one who felt the same way. 

Cedric Diggory wasn’t ignorant about their connection either.

Harry’s green eyes shot open and he quickly sat up, sweat falling from his forehead. A queasy feeling overtook him. 

What the hell was that dream? 

Voldemort? Tom Riddle? He knew where Tom and Cedric could have come from. He knew them but Voldemort? It was so out of place. The legendary Renaissance painter Voldemort looking like Tom wasn’t unusual though. The self-portrait he had made of himself made it clear that he and his last living descendant resembled each other a lot. Oh no, that wasn’t what disturbed him. It was the fact that he had the same name as Tom in the dream. 

No one knows what his real name was. 

_Where did that dream come from? It was so random._ Harry thought, amidst looking around the darkness that greeted him. 

The only source of light was from the glass sliding door, which was mostly covered by silk grey curtains. Although there was barely any light, it was enough for him to make out the furniture in the room. He was in Tom’s hotel room and under him was the comfortable soft bed with the thick quilt (which smelled very much like Tom) covering him. Aside from the headache forming and the urge to puke, he felt fairly comfortable. Especially with the silk black robe he was wearing… 

Harry felt safe. 

Just as he was about to doze off, he suddenly remembered something. Panic welled up inside him and he looked around, searching for his alpha. A sense of relief went through him when he found Tom sleeping on the couch. Harry quickly walked towards him, dragging the quilt with him, and stared at him. Debating with himself, whether he should wake him up. 

Tom’s eyebrows were knitted together, he appeared to look irritated even when sleeping. But he was still as handsome as ever. Harry didn’t know if he should find it funny or not. 

Without needing to do anything, the alpha stirs away and dark eyes stared onto green eyes. Before pretty much doing the same thing Harry did, sitting up quickly. 

“Harry? Do you need anything? Are you okay???” He asks, worryingly. The expression in his eyes didn’t fare any better. 

“Aside from a headache and a puke forming, I’m fine, Tom.” Harry answers, watching as Tom’s tense shoulders relax and let out a relieved sigh. “Why did you sleep on the couch? Why didn’t you sleep beside me?”

“I would have but the drug that fucking alpha gave you… I’m not sure what it was. But I was scared that my scent would affect it…” 

“I think it was just a drug that would render me unconscious and weak… I didn’t feel it affecting my heat… It’s fine.” Harry says, looking up at Tom with his big, luminescence green eyes and grabbing his hand. “Sleep beside me?” 

The alpha smiles and lets the omega drag him. 

Harry slowly woke up, burying himself in the covers but was unable to. Something blocked him from burrowing further. He lets out a huff and a deep chuckle follows soon after. 

“Open your eyes, Harry.” Tom says from underneath him. 

One

Two 

Three

Harry’s whole face exploded into the color red as he sat straight up. Realizing that he was trying to burrow into the alpha’s chest, shamelessly with no concern for privacy at all. 

“What time is it?” He managed to ask, Tom looked at his phone for a moment. 

“11 am,” 

Did he hear that correctly? He was an hour late to his first class!! Sure it wasn’t a very important class but imagine the information he misses!

“Shit! I have classes!” 

The older man narrowed his eyes, not necessarily glaring at him but at his reaction. “You’re not getting out of here without me around for at least a day. Not after what happened yesterday.” 

“But-”

“Harry, I’m a possessive man, I’m not risking that to happen again. It’s just one day, please? If the class is so important, surely you have a friend who could give you some notes.” Tom says, his face was straight but his eyes betrayed him, pleading. 

What he said was true, Harry had nothing to argue against with. The class wasn’t important either. And it wasn’t as if he felt uncomfortable being around the alpha if anything he liked it. It was just one day anyway… 

Biting his lip, he nods. “Alright,” Tom smiled and beckoned him to come closer, which he did. 

He gave Harry his phone from the nearby bedside table without him needing to ask Tom. Once he opened it, he saw dozens of messages from Ron and Hermione and even some missed calls. He ignored Ron’s messages and instead went to text Hermione. There was no way he was going to talk to the male beta after what happened the previous night. 

“Shall we go somewhere?” 

And off they went. Of course, Tom had dragged him to the hospital first, which Harry deemed to be unnecessary since nothing actually happened to him and he wasn’t experiencing any side effects but Tom said otherwise. Even if he wasn’t experiencing anything malicious, it’s still better to be safe than sorry. The possessive freak wouldn’t let go of him even when the doctor said that the drug used was most likely a heat-inducing drug mixed with a sedative.

* * *

Tom was focusing on what the doctor was saying while Harry just honestly looked bored.

“Although I found it peculiar it didn’t really trigger your heat.” The doctor says, examining Harry. 

“I’m on pills, I don’t know if that has to do with anything…” He says. 

“Heat suppressants? What kind?”

“Those really weird ones in a black tube, I forgot what they’re called. But my parents say it’s really expensive.” 

“Pills shouldn’t have anything to do with this one. But I can’t sense anything wrong with you. Unless…” The middle-aged doctor looked at Tom. “Are you mated?”

“No.”

The doctor nodded, “I am stumped on this one, this hasn’t really happened before, however, if you feel anything wrong afterwards. Don’t be scared to come again. But you should really report this to the police…” 

Tom looked curiously at the rather confused doctor. 

What the fuck just happened?

“I know, we’re heading there now,” Tom says, and Harry gave him a questioning look. 

“Did you plan this?”

“Of course, why do you think I have a bag of your clothes then?”

When they came to report the police station, the police immediately knew who the guy was and they were actually just waiting for something to come up so they could get them arrested. For the fifth time. As much as Tom was happy that the bastard could be easily taken away. It made him wonder. If he was so infamous for attempted sexual assaults, why didn’t those people stop him? 

Honestly… this was why he wanted to lock Harry away where he would be the only one to see him. Hide him away from everyone who wishes him harm, preferably a tower- was that too possessive of him?

“Have you told your parents?” Tom asks, raising an eyebrow, keeping a very sharp eye on the omega beside him. 

Harry shakes his head no.

“You should tell them, they’re your parents.”

“They’ll panic over nothing, nothing really happened to me anyway.” He says, pouting. 

“Something did happen to you, you got drugged and almost got assaulted-”

“But you saved me.” Harry interrupts him, giving him a very sweet smile. The kind of smile Tom wanted him to always have on his face.

“Don’t shift the focus, this is still serious. God- Harry.” He says, cutting himself off mid-sentence, attempting to gather his thoughts. “Don’t you even feel shaken up?”

“Of course I do… but you make me feel safe…” 

“... If I couldn’t do that, I don’t deserve to be with you.” Tom sighs, wrapping an around Harry’s waist and pulling him closer to himself. Immersing himself in the omega’s calming pheromones. Ignoring the public and the people around them, even those who were staring. They shouldn’t be even doing that anyway. “Did you quit with that perfume?”

“You said you liked my scent so….” 

“Don’t use it again.”

10:12 pm  _**TOM:** Are you sure you feel safe being there?_

10:13 pm _**HARRY:** yeah im ok_

10:13 pm _**HARRY:** angelina told me ron was trying to search for me like srsly_

10:14 pm _**HARRY:** if i was him id be running im gnna kill that dude_

Tom raised an eyebrow, his eyes looking to stare at the new name, not even realizing that his previously raised eyebrows were already knitting themselves to each other again. His alpha growling lowly at the stranger name.

10:16 pm _**TOM:** Angelina?_

10:16 pm _**HARRY:** oh_

10:17 pm _**HARRY:** its just the RA dw_

He ran his fingers through his rough black hair. Why the hell was he so possessive? 

10:17 pm _**HARRY:** i need to take a shower ttyl_

10:18 pm _**TOM:** Of course, remember to call me when you need anything. I’ll always pick up._

10:18 pm _**HARRY:** even if you’re busy? wow but ok_

10:18 pm _**HARRY:** hot stuff~_

He stared at his omega’s last message. To give him some credit, his poker face never faltered as he typed out a small reply. 

10:19 pm _**TOM:** of course gorgeous_

After pressing the ‘send’ button with his thumb, his whole face suddenly turned red. Throwing his phone away, he covered his face with his palms and let himself fall on the bed with a loud thud. He wonders how Harry would react to that.

* * *

The green-eyed omega just entered his room after taking a much-needed shower when he took his phone off his bed and saw the notification that stole his breath. 

Tom called him gorgeous. 

_That was totally worth it_ , he thought, thinking back to the ‘hot stuff’ message he had sent a few minutes earlier. 

No proper grammar or commas, Harry wonders if Tom was as flustered as he was writing the pet names.

“I can’t Tom,” Harry says, holding his arm to his side and purposely avoided looking at the taller man’s stormy, dark eyes. The thunder roared behind them as the raindrops continuously hit the roof loudly with no sign of stopping. How fitting for what they were both conflicted with isn’t it? “I can’t leave Cedric, it’s unfair for him.”

Tom pursed his lips, Harry knew he understood what he meant but couldn’t completely figure out why he felt that way. “Harry, do you love me?”

He looked outraged by that question, his bright green eyes were blown out wide and he furrowed his eyebrows as if what he said was the most blasphemous thing he has heard in all of his life. 

“Of course I do! You’re my soulmate, I feel so lost without you. You don’t know how much life you gave me when I first saw you!”

“I do, Harry, I love you too… I knew there was always something missing within me but I never acknowledged its existence until I met you. I would never trade anyone for you.”

Harry started shaking, unsure of what to do. His heart told him to just run away with Tom but his mind was disagreeing, it would be a bad idea to do so. If Cedric found either of them, they’d both be charged with adultery. And they could be imprisoned! If worse comes to worst, they could be both killed for it. 

Tom sensed his internal conflict and embraced him, trying to calm him down with his pheromones all the while letting Harry lean on him for support.

“Harry, I know that you know your fiance’s infidelity towards you with one of the maids.” 

The omega stopped and froze, clutching at the alpha’s clothing. “I don’t know what you're talking about.” 

“The Chinese beta, she was bought by Lord Diggory originally as a slave right? But after just a few months in the manor, she suddenly became a head maid.” He starts, putting emphasis on each and every word he said. “The servants know the beta warms Lord Diggory’s bed but no one says anything because they’re scared. And I know that you are not naive, you know what’s happening but you’re not saying anything.”

“...I-I- what are you trying to say?” Harry asks, but he knew already. 

Sleeping with a slave you specifically bought for work when you have an omega fiance was more severe than an omega running away with an alpha, who was his soulmate. Cedric would be more likely to get charged with adultery instead of them. 

“Harry, if you say anything to the authority about your fiance’s adultery and if you can get your servants to support you. He would be charged and I know the servants like you very much, I hear nothing but praises from them about you whenever you aren’t there.”

“Blackmail- Tom-”

“It’s morally incorrect, but do you love Lord Diggory? Are you willing to live an unhappy life knowing his infidelity?”

No. 

No, he didn’t love Cedric and no, he wasn’t willing to live that life.

They disappeared that day, the servants who saw them never said anything and carried the secret to their grave.

Harry had woken up from this dream, a weird dream that seemed to be the follow up to the previous one he had that night with Tom. It was as if he was watching a drama series that he had inserted himself into.

3:34 pm _**TOM:** How was class?_

Harry fumed just thinking about what happened that morning. 

3:35 pm _**HARRY:** shite_

3:35 pm _**HARRY:** absolute shite_

A few seconds later, his phone started to ring and vibrate in his hand. He immediately answers, aching to hear Tom’s voice. Even if it was through the phone. 

“ _Do you want to talk about it?_ ” The alpha says, his voice deep and smooth as always. 

“ _Yes, god…_ ” Harry groans and he could hear the older man's amused chuckle. “ _I lost my student ID, don’t you know how annoying that is? The Student Support Centre was really slow, I was 30 minutes late to my first class. It was so awkward to enter that class considering I purposely missed that yesterday and they were in the middle of something._ ” 

“ _Did the professor say something?_ ” 

“ _No, she gave me the stink eye though. It was such a pain in the ass to find a seat too! That arsehole Ron didn’t even save me a seat- not like I wanted to sit with him anyway._ ”

“ _The beta still didn’t apologize?_ ” Tom asks, sounding unsurprised as usual. “ _Honestly, why are you even friends with him?_ ” 

“ _He did try but I don’t want to accept it,_ ”

“ _Good kitten- give him the cold shoulder, it’s the least you could do._ ” 

Harry started laughing, startling the students around him but did he notice them? Normally he would but not today, he was too focused on the alpha on the other side of the call. “ _Did you just call me kitten?_ ” 

Tom lets out a noise of agreement. “ _Fits you perfectly, playful, cute and sweet. Just like a kitten… are you busy? You sound really annoyed. Want me to come?_ ” 

He smiled automatically at the offer. “ _You don’t mind? Because yes, please…_ ”

“ _Why would I mind? I would rather be with you. Where do you wanna meet?_ ” Although Harry couldn’t see him, he could feel that the alpha was smiling too. 

“ _In front of my dorm, I’ll just leave my things there…_ ” 

“Harry, did you lock your door?” Tom asks, cradling said omega’s cheek once he neared. 

“What do you mean? I always lock it.” Harry says, raising a curious eyebrow at the odd question. 

“What about last time? You said that you lost your student ID right?” 

“Are you telling me that someone would have stolen it?”

“Not necessarily but a possibility… did you lose anything or was something out of order when you came back?” He asks again, leaning on his car without any care. 

Harry thinks back again, his desk was slightly out of order, particularly the drawers. Some of them were open when he never usually leaves one even slightly open because it would tend to catch his attention. And there was also some dirt when he looked at the floor when he so clearly remembers that he had cleaned a few days earlier. But he was a genuinely messy person, so he didn’t think too much about it. However, now that Tom indirectly pointed it out, he couldn’t help but think. 

Did he actually lock the door before Ron had dragged him out (again) to go to The Brook? Oh right… 

“I kept it open because Hermione said she wanted to get my class notes from my room… but she wouldn’t steal my student ID! She has no use for it, she has her own…” 

“Why don’t you ask her if she saw something weird?”

“What do you mean? I never texted you to ask for your class notes, Harry.” Hermione says and looks at Harry as if he had suddenly sprouted another head from nowhere. 

This got him even more confused as he pulled up his phone and showed the message that clearly showed a message from Hermione asking him if she can go to his room. 

“I don’t remember sending that message.” She says again, this time Harry stared at her, Trying to look for a hint of lying but he never found one. “I swear I’m not lying!” She shows the message history on her end and there was no evidence that she actually sent the message apart from the one in Harry’s.

“I know… this is so weird…” 

This is really odd…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Parallels everywhere. 
> 
> The Brook is also a real bar. Goddammit me. I can’t be bothered to read about history but was willing to research places in the UK. It went surprisingly well tbh.


	6. The Framed, The Criminal & The Artist

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A crime gets discovered and then solved quickly… courtesy of Tom Riddle. Also Harry finally gets laid.

For a few weeks, he didn’t get any new news about what really happened until he forgot about the incident. The conversations and calls Tom and Harry shared came with frequency. The alpha rarely complained but when he did, it was always funny. One time, just a day ago, Tom had complained about how the CCTVs in the museum had broken down in ‘such a crucial time’ and it would take at least a week to fix the problem. Harry didn’t really understand why November- nearing December- was such a crucial time but he didn’t ask and instead let him rant. 

They would only be able to really call during the night as the alpha had to focus on his jobs. He couldn’t risk messing up a piece of art he was trying to conserve could he? That would be counterproductive. There was really nothing interesting happening until one day…

It was a normal day for Harry to wake up to. He would have never suspected that he would suddenly get approached by the police when he got out of his first class… and get arrested. 

“You are Harry Potter?” The police asked and Harry, confused, nodded slowly. “You are under arrest for suspicion of destroying an ancient artefact.” 

He was excused from classes and was dragged out by the police into a temporary jail. A private temporary jail to isolate him from the others. He was all alone aside from two beta police officers, who he knew would refuse to talk to him even if he tried to, and a small tv, which mainly functioned to keep the officers entertained while watching a possible suspect.

The police wouldn’t tell him what he had apparently done apart from ‘destroying an ancient artefact’. Which he would never do! He was an art student, a future artist, and he knew how important those things were! He wasn’t mad nor was he so heartless enough to do that! 

Harry was ansty, and couldn’t sit still. His feet tapped against the cold tile floor of the cell and his brain would not shut the hell up. He should be calmer, that would help him but god… what if Tom found out that he got arrested and believed the police that he was the perpetrator? No! That would be his worst nightmare! Even worse than if his parents found out. He couldn’t risk Tom, he was Harry’s ideal mate. He doesn’t even know what he will do if Tom broke up with him and started to hate him, and even if he did move on. Would he still be able to love or would his heart still belong to the alpha? Faithfully waiting for Tom to come back to him like a fool. 

He held up his head with his hands in frustration. He was scared… very scared as he waited for minutes. Hours even, just sitting there with no will to even stand up to pee or eat. 

_Please, please, Tom, don’t hate me_ , he pleaded with himself silently. Harry knew he should trust him, trust Tom to believe him and not the police. 

However, he couldn’t control himself from letting out a soft whimper of dejection, his pheromones quickly following suit. Trying to alert any nearby alphas to come and comfort him, which there weren’t any nearby for it to even really work. Although even if there were, he doubted an alpha would actually come and do it. The most it did was startle the nearby police officers, who looked at each other, unsure of what to really do. 

If they had been alphas, it would be a really hard thing to ignore. Lucky them huh? 

While he didn’t hate being an omega, there were just some times- like now- that made him detest being one. Why does he just have to be so emotional when he shouldn’t even be? It wasn’t like there was an actual guarantee that he would get jailed… 

But if he does, he’d not only possibly lose Tom but also his dream. His dream to become an artist… how shittier can his life be?

“ _Earlier this morning, in the Voldemort Museum. Morning shift guards found out that someone had broken in and destroyed two priceless pieces of art!_ ” The sound from the TV near his cell caught his attention. It was already on from the beginning of his ‘imprisonment’ but he never really paid attention. It was meaningless news that didn’t concern him, until now.

Harry looked up. It was on live and showed the affected vandalised paintings. They were both from “The Potterer” collection. The most famous portrait, which Harry didn’t like much, and the one with the same omega holding a child close to him. He didn’t know much about art of preserving art itself but he knew the damage inflicted on them was irreversible, beyond repairable. Harry didn’t even know if it was possible to hide it. 

Even if he didn’t like The Potterer painting, just seeing the abuse the painting suffered made him angry. Who would do this? And why?

Some pieces from the painting were ripped out of the canvas, and a lot of the rather violent tears were directed particularly on the face as if the vandal really wanted to make it unrecognizable. There were a lot of holes poked by a sharp tool, possibly a knife or something similar to it. The ‘Family Portrait’ held almost the same damage, but the main Potterer painting took the shorter end of the stick. 

On the corner of the camera, Tom was standing there with a poker face but his eyebrows were knitted. Although he only looked slightly annoyed, Harry knew better. He was absolutely angry, no one dared to come near him. Not even the most annoying of the interviewers. Harry could feel his fury through the television and that shouldn’t even be possible.

“Tom Riddle looks really angry,” one of the officers comments offhandedly. 

Another officer snorted, “really angry? He looks like he’s ready to kill someone.”

Harry’s heart sank.

He didn’t know how much time passed until something finally happened. 

Harry jolted when he heard a familiar deep, alpha voice from beyond the door of the room. “Where is he?” The voice was low but he knew who it belonged to and his previously relaxing heart went full panic mode. His hands shook and became clammy, they curled into each other almost automatically. He had no idea where to put them. Should he keep them on the table or should he drop them? His lips trembled as he desperately tried to stop the tears from flowing out of his eyes. 

The door opened with a loud creak. 

Harry kept his head low, and did not dare to look up at Tom, missing the worrisome look he had on his person. 

“Mr. Riddle!” One of the officers exclaimed, the taller alpha nodded, acknowledging his presence but his full attention was on him. Harry could feel the burn of his eyes.

“This is uh- Harry Potter, he’s the main suspect. We found his student ID in the scene.” 

“I know,” Tom’s eyes didn’t leave his small, shaking figure. “Leave us, I’ll call if I need you.” 

The officers gave him a look of confusion but didn’t ask and instead left soundlessly. 

Harry felt uneasiness creep up to him. Tom didn’t feel angry, his pheromones were calm and worried… it scared him. He approached the smaller omega who refused to look up, afraid of seeing the hate in his eyes, and Harry got himself ready for a yell but it never came. Instead, Tom pulled him into his body and embraced him tightly. 

“It’s okay, Harry…” Tom says, rubbing his back as he started to release calming pheromones, attempting to calm the dejected omega. 

Caught off guard, Harry didn’t know what to say but his tears just started flowing down uncontrollably until he eventually started crying into the alpha’s shirt, who held him tighter. With no sign of letting go as he whispered sweet-nothings into his ear, trying to comfort Harry the best he can. 

“D-Don’t hate me p-please-” He croaked out, his voice cracking as he sniffed. Tom held him and brushed away the tears with his thumb. 

“Why would I do that? I would never hate you.” His facial expression was soft, very much different from the cold expression he had on live television. 

“B-Because you might think t-that I-I vandalized those p-paintings- and I-I know h-how much they m-mean to y-you-” 

“They might believe that, but I don’t. I know you wouldn’t have the heart to do it.” Tom says, caressing his cheek lovingly before kissing him on the forehead. “I’ll remove you as a suspect as quickly as I can, that’s a promise.”

The police ended up releasing him as they couldn’t really charge him. The only evidence they had was the student ID and Tom had informed them that a group of UCA students came to visit the museum just a few weeks ago. So there was a chance Harry had accidentally dropped it there. 

Tom knew this wasn’t the case, so did Harry. But it was to save some time. Tom seemed to suspect someone but refused to say it, telling him that someone might be listening in and it would become a disadvantage for them if they found out that he had already sussed them out. Of course, Harry wasn’t happy with this but had to comply. 

The alpha regularly checks up on him, but doesn't really talk about the crime and distracts Harry from it. Apparently to prevent him from thinking too much about it but…

“ _But- what would happen to the paintings? They look completely irreparable._ ” He finally asks over the phone. 

“ _I’m not sure either… that’s the problem isn’t it. I can try to recreate it first and maybe try to fix it… the fact that they targeted the face exactly is what makes me angry…_ ” Tom says, hissing out, clearly becoming irritated. 

“ _Yeah, I think the perpetrator specifically went for the face because it’s the hardest to recreate… I mean you don’t even know the person and-_ ” 

“ _Oh, that’s not the problem. I know who to model it from._ ” 

Harry felt a sudden pang of jealousy, but he attempted to will it down. Not wanting Tom to notice anything unusual. “ _Oh? Who?_ ” 

“ _You, gorgeous._ ” He says, grinning while Harry just went completely silent, his face turning a lovely shade of red out of embarrassment. “ _I can’t even see you, but I know your face is already red because of your silence…_ ”

“ _You know me too well, alpha~_ ” He fired back flirtatiously, moaning out the ‘alpha’ as if it was a cardinal sin, it rolled out of his tongue smoothly with no difficulties. And it was Tom’s time to turn silent. The other end went quiet, similarly to his just a minute earlier. 

“ _That’s too risky, my little omega. If I were there, you know that I would pounce on you._ ”

Harry smirks, not the type to be overtaken by this type of comment. “ _I guess you would have to next time we meet._ ”

He leans his head against the panelled wall of his dorm room, grinning like a lovesick fool as he enjoyed the growl that the alpha emitted instinctively. 

Then just a few days before his final exam week this semester. The supermodel, Bellatrix Lestrange, was arrested for destroying the two of Voldemort’s most famous paintings and other charges. This caused an outrage in the media and paparazzis went full psycho. Harry couldn’t believe it either. 

Bellatrix Lestrange was the first female beta supermodel to enter the top 10 beta-omega supermodel list. When talking about famous betas, she would most likely be mentioned, with her pristine reputation and her outward friendliness. The many donations to charity and the many shows of kindness behind camera did nothing but to boost her popularity and her already clean reputation. 

So being suddenly arrested for this shocked people.

* * *

Tom had a lot of shit to completely ruin Bellatrix’s reputation and oh was he so glad he waited for this opportunity. Not only was the trial supposed to charge her with vandalism, it was also for various things… drug trafficking, money embezzlement, blackmail, slander- who knew the pure and kind Bellatrix Lestrange could be involved in this kind of stuff? 

Her husband, Rodolphus Lestrange, the owner of Lestrange agency wouldn’t even be able to cover for her. But he was sure, Rodolphus Lestrange wouldn’t even want to after he hears what Tom has to say. 

She was smart, very smart, if her carefully crafted pristine, unmuddied reputation had anything to say. But just stupid enough to not know that loyalty can only go so far with money. And Tom had a lot of them, a lot to spend just to defame her. Which she deserved. Messing with Tom Riddle was a bad move and messing with Harry was even worse, and he wanted to make sure it was clear. You don’t mess with him.

Or god forbid, Harry.

If this fails, it might backfire on him but he never does anything that he doesn’t think would work 100%. He couldn’t risk anything and Tom knows he has enough evidence. 

Tom specifically saved a seat for Harry, who did actually come early. Early enough for Tom to disguise him with makeup and some clothing he specifically bought for the day- yes, just for the day, if Harry liked them enough. Tom would give them to him if he wanted, it isn’t like he needed it anyway-, just to make sure the reporters won't really notice the unknown omega and switch the attention towards him. He didn’t want that yet, does he now? 

Harry looked surprised to see Ron there, but decided against talking to him. The beta was fidgety but coherent enough to speak, which Tom was actually impressed by. Other than Harry, he was the youngest in the room. Wouldn’t that be very intimidating to be seen under the scrutinizing eyes of eagle-eyed and sharp-tongued alphas? 

It would do him good to know that Tom Riddle was technically the most dangerous person out of all the people attending. 

Ronald Weasley was never named to protect his identity. He was there to testify against Bellatrix because he did indirectly help her into framing someone, which was Harry (who too was never named to be one she attempted to frame), by distracting him so she could steal his student ID. Getting information out of the beta was very easy as he did look very guilt stricken when he had realized what he had done. Although it took a bit to convince him into testifying and coming. 

Tom looked at everyone in the room and was pleased to see that Harry didn’t look out of place. It was like he was the sophisticated fiance of a lord, Harry Potter, he had remembered well. He blended in well among the snotty businessmen and women. Bellatrix didn’t even notice his existence there. 

Lucius Malfoy knew him very well and actually confessed to assisting the criminal into the crime scene. He was supposed to have jail time of just a year- which was honestly not enough- but he was a Malfoy. That son of a bitch paid it off to avoid being behind bars. As much as Tom wanted to break the alpha’s arms, legs and nose, he just had to sigh. It wasn’t even worth it to chase after him. 

It would do him good to avoid Tom, possibly even move out of England, because he swears. If he sees Lucius again, he would make sure that he would serve his jail time plus a few years worth of more. 

The court trials started out smoothly and he was impatiently waiting to get his moment. Which he satisfyingly did. The look of horror on the bloody bint’s face was worth every penny he spent and the look of awe Harry gave him made him soar in pride. Rodolphus stood up and tried to defend his wife, but he had quickly shut his mouth once Tom revealed her infidelity.

“Are you sure you’d want to continue with that, Rodolphus Lestrange? Don’t you want to know the exact reason why she got into the supermodel list in the first place? The reason why she somehow got a director to make a character just for her so she can act in a movie that would definitely earn money? And the reason why your business seemingly always loses money?” Rodolphus’s face went ashen white, which led him to smirk sadistically. 

“Rodo’, you can’t possibly believe him!” Bellatrix exclaims, her previously refined and cool appearance fade away slowly. 

“And why not? I’m sure Rabastan Lestrange would like to tell his brother how you aborted his child just so she wouldn’t get found out.” His smirk widened.

And that earned a few reactions from the crowd, out of disgust.

By the end of the court trial, she was completely exposed. 

Blackmailing, drug trafficking, drug use, suppressing smaller models, using her body to sleep with directors and judges to get what she wanted, and going through the backdoor to boost her ranking when others much superior and honest than her could only stand and watch. 

Her pleas went ignored as she was taken in handcuffs with multiple charges against her. By the time she gets out of prison, her reputation would be utterly ruined and there would be no way for her to get back into show business with a stable footing.

Oh Tom Riddle knew how many obsessive fans Bellatrix are going to start making some outrageous theories how Tom only did it to cover his arse. And that every scandal Bellatrix had dragged him in was actually true. But did that bother him? No, the scandals never really caused him too much trouble so why should it be any different? Especially since it came from the ‘fans’ and not actual media. 

“Riddle, my deepest apologies for the trouble my… wife has given you-” Rodolphus says, bowing in submission, not daring to look at the other alpha’s eyes. The eyes would most likely kill him if he does. 

“Why are you apologizing to me? The person your wife caused the most trouble to wasn’t me. It was someone very important to me.” Tom says, sneering down at him- well, mostly his head. 

“W-What do you mean?” The Lestrange CEO asks in confusion, having the gall to look surprised when he suddenly grabs Harry from the crowd and pulls him intimately close to his body. He was stunned, his jaw went slack and his blue eyes were blown wide, unable to say anything. 

Although it wasn’t like it was just him who was shell shocked. Even Harry and the reporters were too. 

This was the same stoic Tom Riddle who didn’t need to say anything to debunk a scandal which involved him, the same alpha who clearly held no interest in anyone other than his job and the Voldemort Museum. Seeing him asking- ordering- Rodolphus Lestrange to apologize to someone else, who is by the way an omega who people had never even seen before, because he was apparently the one who got affected the most… when it was very clear that he was definitely the one who got the most trouble. With the now ruined paintings holding a very special place in Tom Riddle’s heart and how much money he had to spend just to expose Bellatrix Lestrange. 

It was simply just unbelievable! 

He never really lets himself get caught being ‘intimate’ with an omega, let alone calling someone else “very important to me” and putting them on a rather high pedestal. The most the reporters could get was a beta or an omega trying to push their body against him, which never looked like it was romantic. They just play it off as one. So of course, catching Tom being suddenly close to an unknown omega and calling him important was big news!

But oh, unknowingly to them, Tom wasn’t done yet. 

“This is my fiance. He’s the person you should apologize to.”

* * *

Harry was frozen stiff, mainly out of shock. He didn’t even realize that the other man had already dragged him away from the public eye the moment people started to take pictures. His mind was out of the earth, stuck on what Tom said, who was rather amused at his very unusual response to it. 

“Harry? We’re here-”

“Are you mad, Tom?” His voice was as soft as a whisper, as he looked straight ahead with an unexplainable blank expression. This worried Tom, who looked at him in concern, any trace of amusement quickly disappearing.

“Are you angry?” He asks hesitantly, not making any moves to go outside the car.

“...My parents are going to kill me! I haven’t even introduced you to them! Oh my god-” Harry says, seemingly not hearing Tom’s question. At this, the worry faded and a smile crept up to his face, and he rubbed the omega’s shoulder in comfort. 

“Don’t worry, I’m not that mad to actually propose to you yet. I haven’t even gotten your parents’ blessing. Don’t panic…” 

“Wait, what?”

“Sorry… I couldn’t stop myself-”

“No, I just realized my classmates are going to recognize me once the pictures are published!”

“They shouldn’t recognize you, the makeup and the outfit should distract them.” Tom says calmly. Seeing no trace of concern in his eyes and facial expression, some of Harry’s worries were lifted but not all of them. 

“Is that why that outfit was so elaborate and too fancy?” 

“Too fancy?” He raises an eyebrow in confusion. “That’s one of the most casual ones I could find that since I knew you wouldn’t want to wear something that looks way too excessive. Also I didn’t want you to seem like you’re the gold digging spouse of some rich old guy. They… uh tend to have a certain fashion sense”

“One of the most casual ones he says…” Harry repeats softly, skepticism lacing every word he said. Tom reached for him and held him. “I think you spend too much money.” He says, not resisting the alpha as he pulled him into a kiss. 

They seperated, their breaths intermingling with each other as their noses touch affectionately. “I think not…” Tom says, staring into the other’s gleaming green eyed. “Have I told you how beautiful your eyes are?”

A smile tugged at Harry’s cheek, “my parents are going to kill you once I introduce you…” The alpha grimaced as if he just smelled something terrible. 

“Ah yes… the classic omega child with overprotective parents…. How fun…”

True to his word, Harry was actually amazed that no one seemingly recognized him as the omega in the picture. The most his schoolmates gave him was a rather confused glance before looking away. Except Hermione… it was like she did know something was up but didn’t really ask as Harry never actually went out of his way to talk about the news. And he started talking to Ron too, but their conversations were more or less strained.

They were in the library, studying together to get ready for the end term exams, asking the others questions if they became confused with something. Normally they wouldn’t do a group study because Ron usually becomes bored and starts messing around, which Hermione did not really appreciate. But nowadays, he became rather reserved and a lot more focused on his studies. Although he did always seem to want to ask something. 

It was very silent between the three of them with only the sound of a graphite pencil being used along breaking up the silence from becoming too overbearing. There were also hushed whispers from other groups in the library but that barely bothered them. The loudest of the groups were kicked out by the strict librarian, Irma Pince, which they and other people were grateful for. 

The comfortable silence was broken up when Ron finally opened his mouth.

“Uh, Harry… do you actually have a boyfriend now?” The red-haired beta asks and Harry suddenly looks confused. Hermione looked up out of curiosity as well, looking at Harry in question. 

“Uh yeah? How do you know?” How did he know about Tom? Was he too obvious? 

“Um, you know that night? I called you but instead of you answering, someone else did. He claimed to be your alpha.” 

“Harry, why didn’t you tell us?” The brown-haired beta asks, she didn’t look upset, just bewildered.

“You never asked…” He smiles, nervously. 

“Oh… alright, your alpha scares me honestly… He’s like a Tom Riddle.” Harry almost snorted, ‘he’s like Tom Riddle’. Oh if Ron knew that his boyfriend was actually the silver-tongued Tom Riddle. 

“Tom Riddle? He seems like a nice alpha, what is so scary about him?” Hermione asks, her notebook lay forgotten as they hushedly talk. Irma Pince was observing silently, just waiting for them to become loud enough to kick out. 

“Hermione, didn’t you even watch the court trial that went live? Riddle literally tore Bellatrix Lestrange and her reputation to pieces, he’s scary as shit and the dude didn’t even need to threaten me to testify against her…”

“Shouldn’t you not mention being the one to testify against her? Since Tom- I mean Riddle did protect your identity…” Harry asks and Ron froze. 

“Shit, you’re right-” 

“You were there? You testified against Bellatrix???” Hermione asks, almost exclaiming if not for Madam Pince’s scrutinizing glare. Disbelief erupted in her face as she glared at him. “How come I never knew that? I didn’t know Harry had a boyfriend until now and now you, Ron. You testified against Lestrange. What else don’t I know? I thought we were supposed to be best friends?”

“Well, Hermione, you aren’t the only one who didn’t know I have a boyfriend. My parents don't even know.” 

And you aren’t the only one who doesn’t know that his boyfriend is Tom Riddle, was what left unsaid. 

He had finished his last end term exam this semester and he was beyond exhausted. He just wanted to go to his dorm and lie down before packing for his two week long vacation with his parents and paternal grandparents. 

But before he could exit school premises, a large dopey grin appeared on his face when he saw Tom waiting, leaning on his car waiting for him. He was wearing a black thin winter coat paired with black jeans, which he honestly deemed too cold. He wasn’t even wearing any additional accessories other than his fancy sunglasses. Harry couldn’t comprehend how he could manage to survive in winter with just those autumn-like clothing. 

The omega was the complete opposite of him. He had on a thick furred winter coat, he even had on something extra under his pants and on top of that around his neck was a scarf- which honestly hindered him because of his glasses- and a beanie to cover his ears. It was such a hassle to take them off because he had so much stuff going on but he really had no choice, he gets cold easily. 

Not minding the possibility that he might slip and ignoring his two best friends, who were walking with him. He ran to Tom and almost tackled him to the ground. The alpha looked happy to see him and embraced him intimately, giving him a quick chaste kiss on the lips. Nothing too sexual, just a very innocent kiss. 

Harry’s omega purred happily for being so close to the alpha. 

“If I was an outsider, I would think you haven’t seen me in a year.” Tom says, smiling down at him fondly. 

“We haven’t seen each other in over a week, does that count?” 

“Harry? Is that-”

“Yeah, my bf,” Harry says, smilingly. Hermione looked at the alpha in amazement while Ron seemed to recognize him. 

“I feel like I’ve seen him before.” The red-haired beta says, tilting his head instinctively while trying to think where he has seen him .

Tom nods his head at him. “As you should, Weasley.” Said beta jumped out of fear and looked at him with wide eyes, realizing who this guy was holding his best friend. 

“Harry, what the heck!” Ron says, looking at both of them terrified.

The omega gave Tom a look, who was smirking gleefully. “What did you do to him?”

“Nothing serious, don’t worry.” The alpha waves it off. Harry somehow doubted that. 

“You know him?” Hermione asks again, more forcefully this time, looking at the three of them. 

“Don’t you recognize him???” He says, disbelief painting his face as quickly as his horror appeared earlier. 

“To be fair, you’re the first one to actually realize who he was. Because people don’t seem to recognize no matter how many times he has been here before… despite the fact that many girls in this school have a crush on him.” Harry says to Hermione, who still looks very confused. 

“Not anymore now that I introduced my ‘fiance’.” Tom gave him a shit eating grin and nudged at the man plastered against him, who gave him a glare. 

“Arsehole, those girls kept insulting me.” He says but didn’t protest to his alpha’s petting. 

It took Hermione to realize who Tom was and when she did, she pretty much had the same reaction to Ron except she was more fascinated than terrified.

“So- wait- you’re already engaged?” She asks. 

“No, Tom was just being a show off.” He pauses and then says with the utmost importance he could muster, “don’t say anything please. At least not until after graduation because I know Tom is going to do something.” 

“And what makes you say that?”

“Because you’re Tom, other than your silver-tongue. I know you always have a plan.”

* * *

Tom stopped at a red light, his eyes straying to watch Harry beside him, sitting on the front passenger seat fiddling with his phone comfortably. He looks so adorable with that oversized coat he was wearing, the scene of him biting his lip every so often as he stared at his phone did not help. If anything it increased his almost childlike appearance. Tom was very much mesmerized as he stared at his omega, his future mate. 

The alpha in him growled possessively. He would literally kill anyone for this man if he wanted. 

It was something that would probably get him in an asylum but after losing his Harry in the past, he doesn’t think he could survive if another loved one died. He would rather bear all the pain for him, he could suffer for all he cares, just not this Harry.

Harry may not be his soulmate, not the Harry from the past, but he might as well be. There weren’t many people that could make Tom feel so much love by just looking at them. His adoration towards this omega was incomprehensible, he could not even put in words even if he tried. 

“Tom?” He heard Harry say, breaking him out of his infatuated trance. 

“Yes? Do you need anything?” Tom asks, smiling softly at the omega as he looks up at him. 

“Do you have any work left?” 

“No, I decided to take a break for Christmas, why?” 

Harry’s eyes lit up spectacularly, causing his smile to widen. “Oh great, do you have any plans then?”

“Not exactly, as I know you’re going to spend your Christmas with your parents…” 

“I want to introduce you to my parents, will you spend your Christmas with us?” He asks, hopefully, giving him a very sweet pleading smile and Tom couldn’t say no to that face could he?

“Of course, dear.”

* * *

Harry stayed at Tom’s home-it was more like a manor despite what he says- after the alpha had helped him with the packing. The stay was definitely interesting. He reveled in there, the whole house smelled like Tom, just him with no unfamiliar scent intruding in. 

“Do you have a maid?” Harry asks, cozying up on the couch after stealing one of Tom’s shirts and then shamelessly wearing it as pyjamas. Although it wasn’t like Tom cared much, oh if anything, he loved seeing him in his clothes. If the jubilant smile on his face wasn’t enough, the soft purring the alpha emitted could probably do it justice. 

“Yes, however I barely see her as I’m either in my studio or outside. She just cleans the rooms, so her scent shouldn’t be too bothersome.” Tom says softly into his ear, his arm around Harry tightening. Not really paying attention to the movie anymore. “I do my laundry and cook for myself as I like it better. I don’t like smelling anyone’s scent apart from you…” 

“Oh, who knew a rich kid like you knows how to do household chores.” Harry says, jumping to sit on his lap comfortably. Tom moved his arm to hold onto him, nipping at his neck, only stopping when the omega in his lap suddenly let out a soft mewl when he got near his scent gland. 

Playful biting turned into a full on unrestrained make out session led by yours truly, Tom Riddle. Harry tried to take control but oh boy, the alpha just wouldn’t let him. It ended with them on the bed, ‘fooling’ around like two hormonal teenagers. And unlike the horror stories he accidentally heard from other schoolmates about their first times, which were described to be very painful. His was the complete opposite, Tom was very patient and gentle with him, he made sure Harry felt comfortable enough and made sure it just wasn’t him who felt good. Which made it all the better. 

He couldn’t believe this man was a virgin, he seemed very experienced. 

However, the tender and tamed touching quickly turned rougher as Harry got used to the alpha’s ministrations. 

They were so absorbed in each other’s pleasure, they didn’t even entertain the fact that the bed could break from beneath them from their passionate and fervent _fucking_. As crudely as it sounded, calling their actions ‘making love’ would be an understatement of the century. 

The next morning, he woke up on his side with Tom possessively spooning him from behind. Harry stared at the closed- and locked- white door leading out to the hallway, barely conscious. 

He didn’t get a dream today. 

He focused on listening to Tom’s steady, relaxed breathing from beside his ear. His heartbeat was nearly the same, slow but steady. Harry made a move to turn to look at the taller man but the unfamiliar ache from his arse, begging him to stay still, stopped any of his actions as he groaned. 

What the fuck, Tom never said anything about his arse being sore. 

If he was in heat, he probably wouldn’t have minded it but… really… 

Then something grabbed his arse. A hand came to caress it, not sexually but mainly for comfort. 

“Bastard, you never told me I was gonna be sore.” Harry hisses out, earning a gruff laugh from Tom. 

“You probably wouldn’t be hurting if you didn’t urge me to go rougher with you.” He whispers into the omega’s ear, continuing his hand motions. Harry closed his eyes, letting a red streak take control of his face.

“I hope your car seat is comfortable enough or I will hit you-”

“If it isn’t, we’ll bring a pillow.” 

“That’s way too obvious- imagine if someone saw us, they’ll know exactly what we’ve been doing.”

“It’s none of their business.” Tom replies, pushing his face closer into Harry’s neck, rubbing his nose against his scent gland. “If you can’t handle the pain, you can rest for the day and drive to your parents’ home tomorrow…” 

“It’s December 17 already, they’re waiting for us… can’t make them wait longer…” 

“Alright… West County, it’s only just a few hours and so…” He gets up and sneakily grabs some pants laid on the ground to wear them. “We still have a few hours to do whatever…” Tom says, looking at the frozen still Harry, who didn’t dare move in fear of inflicting pain on himself. 

“I can feel you staring at me, stop it.” He says, and Tom could tell he was glaring without even looking. It was funny, a grumpy omega. 

“Are you going to lie there forever still?”

“Fuck off, this is your fault.”

The alpha just grins, ignoring the fact that Harry just cussed him out. “Yes, yes… do you want to eat something?”

At this, the other man suddenly perked up and jumped, then immediately regretted his hasty action afterwards. “Ow- oww-” Tom went to his side and supported Harry, who looked like he wanted to cry. 

“Do you want to lie here or should I carry you downstairs?” He says, helping him lie down on the soft bed facing up and handing Harry a thick fleece sweater from his closet.

“I want to stay here for the time being, I feel like dying.” He says, carefully wearing the sweater to cover himself from the cold. “Since you said you know how to cook, cook me something…”

Tom smiles, “with pleasure. What do you want?”

Harry looked at nowhere in particular, letting out a soft ‘hmm’. “I’m craving beef… do you have red meat? For some reason, I want some…”

He raised an eyebrow curiously but didn’t ask. “I’ll keep the door open, yell if you need something, or call me.”

* * *

The sun was rather high in the sky, the sky was very clear and the snow on the roads had already been gotten rid of. There was still some leftover snow in the sidewalks, probably some ice too but that never deterred the most determined of joggers. 

Tom normally doesn’t wake up at this time of day, although it wasn’t as if that was anything weird nowadays. He rarely took vacations from work until now because Harry convinced him to… and because he actually had somewhere to spend his christmas vacation other than being inside his house. 

As he went down the stairs, he couldn’t help but become curious. Tom hadn’t really seen Harry eat anything meat related, he typically ate something sweet- sometimes even too sweet he might add- whenever they met up to go somewhere or usually a date. So craving beef; lean beef, the red kind with lots of calories all of sudden was rather strange. Was there a specific reason why? His actions the previous night were unusual too, although it wasn’t like Tom didn’t like it. He welcomed a clingy and affectionate Harry with open arms. Being intimate with each other wasn’t bizarre or rare, they did it a lot especially when they haven’t seen each other in over a week. But it never went that far until yesterday… was Harry so stressed that he needed an outlet? He didn’t look like it. 

Tom continued wondering about him, should be he worried? Or was he overreacting just because he wanted red beef? 

And then once his feet hit the ground floor, he almost fell on his face. 

Harry was in pre-heat. 

Well at least experiencing pre-heat symptoms. Tom knew he was using heat suppressants, which he didn’t really have a problem with. He was aware that Harry wanted to complete his education first before actually mating with him. He knew this fact very well, the main reason why he didn’t want to mark him yet. Marking Harry might distract him far too much. However, even suppressants could only go so far. His pill might stop his heat, but that didn’t mean it could prevent him from experiencing classic symptoms. 

He wondered if Harry even knew what was happening. 

It was 2 pm when they decided to drive towards Harry’s parents’ home back in West County. They stopped at Westfield in London to shop for some gifts because Tom felt that his future parents-in-law wouldn’t probably be so welcoming, even if he was _the_ Tom Riddle. You never underestimate an omega’s loving parents, they can be very terrifying. 

The sun had already begun to set when they neared a brightly lit, two stories white house. Beside the house were two cars, a black Ford Fiesta and an older model of an Audi car. 

The house was near a lake with a thick, pathless forest right behind it, and while it wasn’t completely isolated like a cottage in the middle of the woods. The neighbors were at least a few hundred meters from their house, near enough for someone to run to them in case they needed something but far enough to not to disturb each other if they thought putting music on the loudest possible volume was a good idea. 

They got out of the car at once after Tom found the perfect place to park. Snowflakes came rushing to them but it barely phased them as they trudged through the coldly white and opaque snow beneath their boots. There were two other shoe tracks going up to the house but Harry wasn’t bothered, so Tom didn’t think too much about it as he carried a few bags of gifts for both him and Harry. 

His heart beat harshly against his ribcage as Harry rang the doorbell with a soft smile. It took barely 10 seconds for heavy footsteps to come rushing to open the door excitedly. The one who opened the door was a middle aged, female beta with dark red hair and bright green eyes he was very familiar with. 

“Harry!” She exclaims, her face filled with smiles as she jumps at Harry and pull him into a tight embrace. Not even noticing Tom’s presence. “Oh my dear baby, I haven’t seen you in months!”

“Mum, I can’t breathe!” Harry says, but he didn’t struggle, enjoying his mother’s presence again. 

“Right, right… you must forgive your mother, it’s just I miss you so much.” She says, letting him go after pinching his cheeks. Her green eyes eventually strayed to look at Tom. “Is this…?”

“My boyfriend, yeah.”

* * *

His parents didn’t exactly welcome Tom with open arms. His dad, James, didn’t like him with just one glance. His mother, Lily, although apprehensive, liked him a lot more than her mate did and tried to treat him like family. Harry knew why his father was so overprotective, he was their only omega son, of course it would be a given, but it didn’t mean he didn’t find it very annoying. To make it worse, his godfather, Sirius Black, and his mate, Remus Lupin, were there visiting. And as expected, just like his dad, they had a similar reaction to Tom. Especially Sirius, the only alpha there besides Tom himself. 

Although if anything, Tom was a lot more intimidated by his mum and dad. And it made Harry laugh his arse off when he found out. 

The great Tom Riddle being intimidated by two betas who were shorter than him and a lot smaller. It was like seeing a big lion being frightened by a kitten… 

Tom spent the whole Christmas with them, so of course his dad eventually mellowed out, albeit he still disliked him. His mum did, however, like Tom and she deemed him worthy enough to be her son’s mate. Even to the point that she taught the alpha how to cook Harry’s favorite meal- yes, she did that. His grandparents came to visit as well, Fleamont and Euphemia Potter rather liked Tom. Probably because of his charisma, which never worked with his dad. 

But Tom didn’t mind much when his dad made it clear that he disliked him. If anything, when the smug arsehole got comfortable enough. He liked to get all frisky with Harry just to piss off his future father-in-law. Often kissing him with full tongue action, which definitely flustered Harry when it happened the first time. But they never really did anything sexual other than rubbing against each other, mainly because both of them knew James would probably murder Tom, who was not suicidal enough to risk it. 

They celebrated Tom’s 28th birthday along with New Year’s Eve. It was a good time, and Harry knew the alpha also had a wonderful vacation.

However, the day before they were set to go back home. Tom sat down both of his parents and asked for their blessing. 

Lily gave him a big thumbs up, whereas it took James a full painful minute of deciding before giving it to him anyway, saying how “there’s probably not a better alpha to court my son”. His words, not Tom’s nor Harry’s. 

Tom never told him about this until they were married a few years later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, it’s done! Thank you for joining me in my first completed multi-chaptered fic! I appreciate all the comments and kudos you all have given me! ^^
> 
> This is essentially the end, the next one is the epilogue and what happens right after. It’s not necessary to read since it’s just… domestic fluff and there’s a kid thrown in there for good measure.


	7. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The epilogue… What did really you expect to be written here?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> his epilogue is filled with so much domesticity, I think I accidentally choked myself while writing it.  
> Also End Note is really fucken long, most of it is just fun facts, feel free to just ignore it haha.
> 
> This is also the longest chapter in the whole series I think...

The way Tom decided to propose to him was definitely a very interesting affair… 

Harry already had a feeling that he was probably going to do something outrageous, and was probably planning already. He didn’t mind, he couldn’t imagine marrying anyone else other than him anyway… and he got the sense that Tom felt the same. Neither of them could go through the day without even thinking about the other, how they were doing and were always eager to call each other when there was time. Their hearts would continue to flutter whenever they would flirt with each other, as their stomach would get butterflies whenever they saw each other. The spark between them never wavered or faded, it simply became stronger every second they spent with each other. 

But really… during graduation day of all things. 

He was disappointed and he felt his heart break when Tom told him he couldn’t attend his graduation. But Harry didn’t dare cry in front of him, he was aware if he did. The alpha would most likely cancel his plans that day just so he could come, but Harry couldn’t be selfish. So he bit his lip and accepted it. 

His parents were coming anyway, so he shouldn’t be that sad about it… 

It was during the classic speech from their professors, the most boring part of the whole day when the most interesting thing happened.

Harry was sitting with his parents right in front, luckily having the clearest view of the massive stage in front of them, where the most important figures of the whole university were sitting, watching the students and getting ready for their speeches. 

They were just waiting, boredly, listening to the bullshit speech about how proud they were of them for working so hard to get their diploma. It was the standard speech people heard in melodramatic college drama series. A few students looked like they were about to fall asleep, when a familiar tall, black haired alpha suddenly appeared. The professor who was on the stage smiled his way. 

“Please welcome Tom Riddle!” The professor says enthusiastically as he walks away from the mic, and like clockwork. Everyone got excited, staring at him interestedly as if they weren’t just bored a few seconds ago. 

Tom Riddle stood there in all of his glory, expensive tailored suit and all. 

He caught Harry’s eye, who was glaring at him in confusion. He just smiled sweetly and winked at him, the girls behind him swooned, thinking that the wink and smile was directed at them. Harry huffed, his mum and dad noticed his reaction and laughed lightly.

Tom pretty much said the same thing as the professors did but the students barely noticed, too entranced by the charming alpha speaking. However unlike them who took around 15 minutes, it only took Tom just five minutes when he finally deviated from the speech protocol and did the unthinkable. 

“Before you all can go out to do your thing, I just have one more thing to say.” He says, smiling very widely as he stared into Harry’s green eyes. Harry suddenly felt shy. “For one Harry Potter specifically…” 

The students looked at each other in puzzlement. 

He covered his reddening face, although he didn’t know what Tom was going to say. He knew it would probably be something… very Tom-like, not terrible, Tom-like. 

The madman let go of the mic and stood right in front of Harry. He reached for something behind him and went down on one knee. “Harry, will you marry me?” 

Although he wasn’t using a mic, everyone knew what he said.

* * *

Their engagement had been blissful, with barely any problems… besides the occasional arguments, but honestly those were rather common among couples anyway. 

Tom had ‘fixed’ the Potterer painting with just using him as the model. Although it was more or less his own painting now, since a lot of the pieces that the original illustration had used were thoroughly broken and unusable. Even so, it looked like the exact replica of the original one and it was brought back to the Voldemort museum to showcase. The other painting however was rather complicated… he wasn’t able to fix it and it would continue to lie in the storage room, in pristine condition- as pristine as it could be anyway- until Tom finds a way to get it back together. 

And they weren’t the only ones who pointed out the resemblance between Tom Riddle’s fiance and the Potterer painting. The media pointed it out and people went nuts after they quickly made the connection. Harry had been featured in magazines about how much he looked like the Potterer painting in the past but it only happened once and it mostly went forgotten… until that day. 

Tom knew how miffed Harry had been when people started to compare him with the painting again. So, they decided to make fun of it. Tom had painted a ‘modernized’ version of “The Potterer” using Harry as a reference. While Harry had mimicked “Voldemort’s Self Portrait”, and used his fiance as the model. It was fun and helped Harry get over his odd complex against it… although not completely getting rid of it, it helped. 

They grew somehow even closer. The actions of the other reminded them constantly why they fell in love with them in the first place, even the most humiliating and undignified ones. They just find it funny. They fell in love with each other everyday, over and over again and neither of them got sick of it.

Their marriage occurred two years later, a grand wedding and an even grander honeymoon in the Bahamas. Where Tom just went full mad and rented an entire private island for them for two weeks. And Harry couldn’t even complain because he loved every second they spent there. He had quit taking his heat suppressants since Tom was _always_ willing to assist him and when he had shown signs of his heat- aka nesting and becoming very clingy, a fact that Tom absolutely adored- both of them were excited. 

Then his heat started, on the first night a bond was formed between them and Tom took the chance to finally mark Harry his. As did Harry. The entire duration of the heat, the alpha was at his beck and call. Harry would daresay… he was whipped and didn’t hesitate to do anything he asked of him. He had a suspicion that if he asked Tom to kill someone, he would be happy to do it with no questions at all. It disturbed him but he enjoyed the attentiveness his alpha gave him. Even after his heat, Tom didn’t change much but he calmed down a bit… Honestly, from all the love making they did while he was on his heat, neither of them would even be surprised if Harry had fallen pregnant. 

Which he did… the next few weeks of puking his breakfast. A very concerned Tom finally forced Harry to go to a doctor, that was where they found out that Harry was exactly six weeks pregnant. 

He was overjoyed but also terrified, he still remembered that nightmare he had years ago. It continued to hunt him. Although he never told Tom about this in fear of worrying him too much, the alpha clearly knew what bothered him and strove to keep him well taken care of as much as possible. Albeit, his actions might be… questionable. Harry never felt imprisoned in the Riddle Manor they recently moved into- well Tom moved back, this was his childhood home after all-, but recently, the alpha’s obsessive possessiveness immensely skyrocketed and he felt… stifled by it. He didn’t let Harry work and constantly reminded him to just rest and leave everything to him. This continued for a few days until he finally got enough and gave Tom a piece of his mind. 

They ended up having an argument, which was never good as Harry’s mood swings had quickly reacted. He shuts himself off to their room, refusing to talk to Tom, who finally relented and begged Harry to “just open the door, love… I was wrong, please… I’m sorry…”. He did eventually open the door and started crying because he was too mean. The alpha, of course, acted accordingly and that was panicking because Harry’s tears were his biggest weakness, his Achilles heel. 

The few weeks before he gave birth, he was quite big and just walking from the couch and kitchen would exhaust him. The incessant kicking from their son hurt to the point that he had to sit down. Yes, they were having a son, whom they would decide to name “Salazar Thomas”. A rather odd name, since Salazar was traditionally a spanish surname.  
And considering the origin of the name was from his nightmare where said child died, it was like cursing him but Harry didn’t see it that way. While he was frightened that the same thing might happen, he needed to hold on to his hope, it was just a nightmare anyway… 

When his water broke, Tom was already on him and carried him to the car to rush him to the nearest hospital, running multiple red lights and speeding. But he honestly did not give one single shit. 

Tom was allowed in the delivery room and held his husband’s hand throughout the delivery. Not even minding that his hand would _probably_ break and the words Harry yelled at him. 

Salazar Thomas Riddle was safely delivered by Harry Riddle via Cesarean Section at 11:58 pm on the 31st of October. Halloween. 

Harry was the first one to hold him, absolutely delighted after finally being able to hold Salazar. Their eldest son, an alpha. Before handing him to Tom after he finally succumbed to exhaustion, snoring with a smile on his face.

* * *

Lily and James rushed there as fast as they could when Tom called them, they cooed at Salazar as Tom watched the sleeping Harry, petting his hair every so often. The expression on his face was an enigma, neither Lily or James could read him but they knew it wasn’t anything bad. The affectionate petting on his part and the soft, fond smile on his face made that very obvious. 

James wouldn’t openly admit it, but Tom was definitely the perfect alpha. He was honestly glad that the alpha took an interest in his son. Harry didn’t even need to write to him about how nice Tom Riddle was. He could see that himself. His son-in-law’s love for his and Lily’s son wasn’t superficial and very much genuine. James would sometimes observe them when they visited, Tom was very obviously affectionate with Harry, often kissing him on the forehead when he thought he and Lily weren’t looking. 

Salazar let out a gurgle and smiled, his green-eyes brightly lit as he looked at his grandparents. He was a newborn, despite that, both he and Lily could already tell that their grandchild’s eyes would match his mother’s.

* * *

Salazar was a quiet infant, only really making a fuss whenever he couldn’t sleep or if he was hungry… or when he noticed that neither his “mummy or daddy” was near. He would coo and make cute noises, trying to respond, whenever he hears that one of his parents is talking to him. Tom and Harry always melted whenever it happened, can you blame them? Salazar was absolutely adorable… even when he’s wailing... and both his parents adored him. 

Harry would bring him outside when it wasn’t too cold, cradling him in his arms. Salazar never cried during these times, only making sounds when he was hungry or he was uncomfortable. His vocal skills matured very early. Harry was caught by surprise. Tom, on the other hand, only smirked, saying that Salazar was exactly like his father. But that smirk would be quickly dropped when he repeated his first word, more clearly and louder, which was ‘mama’. 

He tilted his head after watching his mother stuck out his tongue at his peeved father, curious as to why he did that but did not think much when his ‘mama’ approached him. 

In public, he would always look curiously at people, observing how their facial expressions change everytime they see something they liked or disliked. Sometimes, they even noticed him staring at them, and had the tendency to coo at him in his mother’s arms. Salazar was quite a smart infant, and he would notice that people would hesitate more when his father was near his mother. He wondered why.

* * *

Harry specifically bought a polaroid camera to take pictures of Salazar in his infancy and made a scrapbook just for it. So they could look back at it when their child eventually grows up. Tom found it cute and happily bought him the supplies, sometimes even taking pictures with the polaroid camera of Harry playing with their son. Something his mate did also. 

While in Salazar’s infancy, Tom had managed to fix Voldemort’s painting nicknamed “Family Portrait”. He found it rather creepy, yet comforting that Salazar really did look like the child in his- Voldemort’s- painting. Life was cruel, he never saw his son, only his cold, dead body, from his previous life, but out of sheer desperation to find a slither of hope, to find distraction from the agony gnawing away at his heart. He painted and painted, ignoring his bleeding hands, only stopping when he was finally satisfied. The painting felt just right and now he knew why… perhaps that was how _Salazar_ supposed to look like if he had survived. But… Harry didn’t need to know this fact. 

After the painting was placed back in the now “very strictly watched” Voldemort museum. Tom got a lot of praise, because not only had he restored the main Potterer painting, he also restored the “Family Portrait”. Neither of them looked any different and looked like what it did in its original state but with increased quality as the dust and grime it accumulated throughout the years was removed.

* * *

There was also something interesting that happened, although Tom would argue that it was more “creepy” than interesting. 

It was during the early months of february, they were out and about with Salazar nestled inside the dark green pram. Snow was still everywhere, however lesser than usual; a miracle of the highest point considering heavy snow usually stayed until March and even April. 

The day wasn’t that bad- until they came across a brown-haired alpha with the name of… Cedric Diggory and his mate, a Chinese beta named Cho Chang. Cedric Diggory was the full name of _Lord Diggory_ , the fiancé of his soulmate from the past, and this Diggory looked exactly like him. And Tom could safely conclude that the other one, the girl, was the “modern” equivalent of the Chinese ‘slave’ Lord Diggory had an affair with. He wouldn’t have minded this and would have just found it amusing, if not for the fact that Harry KNEW THEM. In fact, Cedric Diggory was Harry’s ex. The ex he had told him about. 

These mysterious parallels almost made him laugh like a maniac.

* * *

As years passed, Salazar grew up. Even from the young age of five, it became very evident to all who he got most of his features from. Tom Riddle, his father, although it wasn’t that unusual. Alpha children tended to borrow most of their physical traits from their sire. Salazar did inherit some traits from his mother; his messy jet black hair and big, almond green-eyes that looked out of place, but became his most noticeable features. He was taller than most of his classmates and the smartest in class, which he was very proud of. 

Salazar looked at the other children playing with a frown as he clung onto his mother’s legs. He didn’t feel intimidated by crowds and by strangers, he had gotten used to them but being around so many children his age made him feel jittery. He had never been sent to daycare or a nursery, his parents would always be at home working and taking care of him. There was no need to. So, of course, he wasn’t used to this kind of thing! 

He didn’t like this. He just wanted to stay at home with his parents (well… mainly his dearest mummy but his dad didn’t need to know this). This was unnecessary, going to kindergarten was unnecessary, he knew both of his parents were smart enough to home school him. Salazar had no need to attend a school! Hell, hiring a private tutor for the duration of all school years wouldn’t be expensive for his father to pay. He wasn’t stupid, he knew how stupidly rich his family was. 

Salazar had an extended vocabulary, he knew more words than normal five-year-old children but from the words he heard being exchanged between his parents and a strange beta, the teacher so he guessed. Only one word from the collection of words they spoke was strange, “orientation”. What did that mean? 

Tugging at his mother’s pants, he asked, “mum, what’s orientation?” 

Harry smiled at the teacher before kneeling down to his level. “It depends what you’re talking about but orientation here means it’s a day where children like you Sal can get a taste of how a normal classroom life would be… so you can be a lot more comfortable for your first day…” He says as softly as possible, letting Salazar take in the words slowly. 

He thought about it before pouting, “Do I have to? School I mean?”

“Of course, it’s mandatory.” His dad says, looking at him. 

“You could homeschool me…” Salazar says, watching as both his parents look at each other. 

Tom lets out a fond sigh. “Yes, but your mother disagrees with me-” His mum made a face at him, which did nothing but make his mate smile lovingly. 

“School will do him good, Tom. He should mingle with children his age.” He says. 

Salazar doesn’t agree but doesn’t talk back. 

Honestly, he’s way too mature for these children. Do they expect him to happily play with them??

* * *

Harry smiles, watching his only son play with the other children. It took a bit of convincing on his part to convince Salazar to let go of his leg to be with the others. It pained him to do so, even though this was HIS idea, seeing his Salazar pout and look dejected. He and the omega inside him couldn’t bear it. But now that he’s seeing him having fun and playing like what five-year-olds do. It made everything worth it. 

“Were you like this in kindergarten?” Tom asks, without looking at him. Instead, he was also watching Salazar beat everyone in each physical activity. 

“No… I actually liked school.” Harry says, unsubtly pushing himself closer to the alpha, ignoring the other parents, who were too busy watching their children anyway. Tom notices and wraps a possessive hand around his waist. “You were homeschooled, weren’t you? I guess he got this from you.” 

Tom scoffs, not the mocking kind of one but more of joking scoff. “I doubt it, I wouldn’t be this stubborn.” 

Harry laughs, “you wouldn’t know that…” 

“I would know-”

“I can just imagine a five-year-old version of yourself throwing a tantrum… it’s adorable.” He says, giggling when Tom pinched his sides reprimandingly. 

“I don’t throw tantrums, that is not me.” 

“I’m sure Salazar is thinking the same thing.” 

“Good, like father like son,” Tom says, sniffing his scent, pulling away almost immediately. “Honestly, that boy likes scenting you too much.”

“You did say like father like son.”

“Doesn’t mean I have to like it…” He brushed the scent gland in his wrist against Harry’s neck. Scenting each other in public might be scandalous for some people, but those some people weren’t them. Tom places his mouth against his naked ear then, his breath intimately loud. “On the plus side… now that Salazar will have to go to school. We’ll have the house for ourselves for at least a few hours…” He whispered suggestively. 

Harry caressed his husband’s jaw and let himself be held from behind, smiling whilst closing his eyes. “Yes… I can feel your frustration everyday.”

* * *

Tom loved Salazar, why wouldn’t he? Salazar was his only son, his precious son who deserves the best in everything… but sometimes… just sometimes, he just wished Salazar wasn’t there. That sounds very harsh but hear him out, some days, he just wants to be intimate with his omega and he knew Harry wanted him too, if those suggestive looks had anything to say… But they couldn’t do anything in front of their son's observant eyes could they? 

They do it at night and made sure they were quiet, just so their sleeping son wouldn’t be disturbed, but as they were just about to reach their climax- oh god, Salazar would always, and he means ALWAYS, interrupt them! And Tom would be forced to lie there on their bed with a severe case of blue balls as Harry’s motherly instinct acted up. 

This happened a lot, so of course he was angry. Can’t he get some alone time with his omega for once?

To make it worse, Salazar seems to always have this urge to scent mark Harry. Tom knew where he was coming from, he was an alpha just like his father. But it irritated him when he couldn’t even smell his scent on Harry, HIS OWN MATE, because of their child. 

Harry just found his annoyance funny and told him that “Salazar is our child, Tom. Why are you jealous of him?” followed by an amused laugh. 

He knew that! But he couldn’t help it! Tom was incredibly possessive of Harry, even if it comes to their own son. 

The fact that they looked like each other didn’t help things. 

It was like Tom was arguing with a younger version of himself and not his son.

* * *

Eight years old Salazar stared at his room’s wooden ceiling as he laid on his bed, stiff and cold. Thunder roared outside accompanied by the sound of heavy rain pelting his closed windows loudly. It was dark in his room, the only source of light came from the moon and the red LED light of his electric clock. His corner of the room with his bed was covered in mostly darkness, leaving the empty spaces for his imagination to fill. 

His hands turned cold as he fisted his silk filled quilt, his heart pumped loudly in his ears and he was sweating, despite the cold air seeping through the door. 

Salazar felt uncomfortable and he didn’t want to admit it, but he was _scared_.

His mum told him it was fine to be scared because it was something natural. But he was an alpha and almost nine. He had to be strong and that meant he shouldn’t be distracted by a trivial feeling such as “fear”. 

But… he had never felt such a strong feeling of fear until now. He has experienced thunderstorms before with his parents beside him, he never felt any form of fear during those times. He would always laugh when his friends- classmates, not friends- told him how thunder is so terrifying, and then he would proudly state that he would never get scared towards storms. But clearly, he was terrified of them. 

He wants his mum and dad… 

His feet hit the cold wooden floor of his room and he didn’t bother to take the slippers just under his bed. His parents would berate him about him, but Salazar didn’t want to linger any longer in his room. He shimmied towards the door, cringing after hearing the door creak. He knew it wouldn’t wake up anyone since it was just him, his mother and father living in the manor, but the sound it produced was enough to startle him. 

Salazar went down the hall, his green-eyes already used to the darkness as he quickly found the slightly ajar door to the master bedroom. Ignoring the nagging feeling that someone was behind him. If he gave in, he would just scare himself. 

_There was nothing there, just the darkness… nothing but darkness._ He thought, _it’s just in your head, Salazar._

Raising his left arm, he opened the door slightly, enough for him to get him. Once he entered, a wave of comfort and safety rushed through him as he saw the sleeping silhouettes of his parents on the bed. Salazar closed the door, afraid of a monster entering. 

The room was dark, darker than his room was. There were two windows, one of them was opened as the cold autumn wind passed through it. The cream, gold trimmed curtains billowed through the air, following the direction of the breeze. The thunder was louder here, but he felt secure here. On the bed were his parents, who were covered by the quilt up to their necks. His mother was facing the door, his mouth slightly open. His round black framed glasses on the end table, beside the inactive lamp. He doubted that the lamp was used often. 

His short black hair was everywhere, more so than usual, but his father didn’t seem to mind as he held Harry from behind. Even whilst sleeping and covered in his mate’s sweet scent, his eyebrows were still furrowed, as if deep in thought. He was a light sleeper, so Salazar was rather surprised he didn’t seem to notice him entering… well… he was his son, perhaps he didn’t find him to be a threat. 

The thunder roared menacingly nearby. Salazar shook in fear as he quickly went and pulled desperately at the quilt his parents were under. 

His mother groaned in irritation, not even bothering to open his eyes and tried to swat away at the hands on the quilt. His father simply growled threateningly, the crease between his eyebrows becoming more pronounced. 

“Mum!” Salazar calls out desperately, barely avoiding said man’s hands. 

Harry immediately opened his eyes in alarm and quickly sat up. Tom did the same thing, opening his eyes in surprise as he stared at his husband’s back. 

“Sal? What’s the matter?” He asks, uneasiness tainting his voice as he cup his son’s face with a concerned expression. From behind him, his father was also looking at him worriedly. 

Salazar didn’t say anything, instead pointing at the weather outside. 

“Oh my dear boy…” His mother says, beckoning him to come. 

He spent his night there, embraced between his beloved parents. 

Forgetting all about his unreasonable pride.

* * *

Salazar was 12 years old now and he was currently staring at the grading placement in disbelief.

> 1st - Aurelius Credence Dumbledore-Grindelwald
> 
> 2nd - Salazar Thomas Riddle  
> 

His right eye twitched. 

His father won’t be pleased- well, no, that wasn’t true. Tom Riddle wouldn't say he’s displeased because Salazar placed anything but the 1st place, but he knew his father would be… slightly disappointed. His mother would still be proud, but shocked that he placed 2nd because other than this year, he has always placed 1st. 

Never second. 

He was an alpha, and being second to anyone destroyed his pride. 

Aurelius smirked and Salazar was pissed. He wanted to rip that smug, mocking smile from his face. Or even better, scar that stupid face of his. 

“How does it feel?” He says, approaching him slowly. The students felt the tension between them stack up and wisely avoided being near the two rival alphas. “Being second for once?” Salazar bit his tongue, barely repressing a guttural growl from bubbling out of his throat. 

“For once,” he says, bumping his shoulder into his shorter classmate’s, not giving the others a single glance as he walked away. Salazar didn’t need to do anything but walk as the students, even the older ones, quickly got out of his way. 

The car ride to his home was tense, well at least to him. He wasn’t nervous of what his parents would think about his grade placement. He was just pissed, plain old anger. The chauffeur wisely did not speak to him, although it wasn’t like he really talked much either. Because if he was anymore like his father, his anger was not something to mess with… because last time Tom Riddle got really angry, someone got sent to jail with her reputation thoroughly ruined. 

Climbing out of the car, he mumbled a strained thanks to the chauffeur before running towards the manor. On top of the doorknob was a password screen, he quickly pressed in his birthday as usual. The Riddle Manor was old, older than his grandparents, and it was only recently his dad decided to upgrade the house security. Even though the manor was pretty much isolated from the other houses of Little Hangleton and the surrounding area were very secure. It stood on top of a hill and overlooked the actual village at the bottom of the hill. The overly paranoid security measurement was unneeded. Those who clearly had no business there would look out of place, not to mention thieves who wear an all black outfit. 

Salazar entered their home, it was empty and silent, save for the breeze from the outside coming in. He threw his bag on the couch and dug around to find the report card. Then he quickly set off to look for both his parents. It didn’t take long however, he already guessed that his dad would at least be in his ginormous studio in the basement. 

He was right, the light to the basement was turned on and the door was open, which his dad normally kept locked. There was a sound of rustling of fabric, as well as amused giggling- which definitely came from his mum- coming from the studio.  
Salazar didn’t even consider the fact that they might be doing something… intimate, something he shouldn’t see, and just barged inside. 

“Mum!-” The air turned cold the moment he stepped inside. He went stiff and his eyes automatically locked on his parents on the couch. 

Tom was lying on top of Harry, their hairs and clothing- which thankfully they still had on- ruffled untidily as if they just woken up. The alpha’s lips were swollen, Salazar can only guess why, and there were quite a lot of ‘bite marks’ on the other man’s neck. He was young but he was stupid, he knew his parents ‘fooled around’- he wouldn’t exist otherwise- however, actually seeing it happen right in front of his eyes made it the worst. 

Who wanted to see their parents having an intimate moment?!?!?

Only weird people!!

He regretted being there. Slowly, he backed out, refusing to meet his father’s grey eyes or his mother’s green ones and once he was out of the door. Salazar ran like hell to his room and locked it, feeling very awkward. He doesn’t know if he could speak to both of them ever again now.

Meanwhile in the basement… 

“Shit.” Was the first thing that came out of Tom’s mouth, staring at the door his son exited out from. Not really knowing what to do, neither did Harry to be fair. 

At least he didn’t actually catch them doing the do, or that would have been a lot worse. 

“Shit???” 

“Well that was going to happen eventually.” He didn’t once regret saying that even with his mate hitting him over the head at his nonchalant tone. “Come on, Harry- he’s an alpha, exactly like his dad. He’s getting over it-”

“What if we traumatized him?!?!” Said man says, hysterical. 

“Calm down, he just saw us kissing. We weren’t really doing anything inappropriate.” Tom pats Harry and begins sending out comforting pheromones to console his emotional omega. 

Harry was about to say something but clamped his mouth shut, instead letting his body lean on the alpha for support and burying his neck on the mating bond he created. He eventually relaxes, turning red out of embarrassment from his unreasonable outburst. 

“I- I don’t know what got over me…” 

Tom just raised a confused eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

“What?” He asks, confusion coloring his face as quickly as the reddish hue on his cheeks faded to make way for it. 

“You’re in your pre-heat, it’s normal.”

By the look of astonishment on Harry’s face, it seems, he didn’t even notice it. Tom was astounded. How oblivious can his husband be? 

The couple had to coax Salazar out of his room to eat dinner or talk… Tom tried doing it first but no matter what he said. Their son just wouldn’t budge, either staying completely silent or just flat out saying ‘no’. It continued like this for a while, until Harry finally tried and their son got out of the room, holding his head hidden under the omega’s clothes. Tom was a bit miffed at this fact because Salazar was unmistakably trying to scent Harry and showing his preference towards his mother over his father.

It happened again, well kind of, except this time Salazar was 16 years old. Full of teen angst and puberty, what a time to be alive (for both the Riddle couple and their only son).

“Dad, have you ever considered only doing mum in the bedroom with the doors locked and not anywhere else?” Salazar says dryly, his face straight as he dug into his breakfast; bacon, fried egg, sausage, mushrooms, baked beans, toast and grilled cheese. A traditional full English Breakfast, there was even a cup of tea on the side. 

Tom spat out the tea- how wasteful…- while Harry did the complete opposite and started choking on it. Salazar was unphased and kept eating. 

The alpha patted his mate’s back after he got over most of his shock, trying to help him through his choking. At the same time, he looked, throwing him a troubled look.

“What are you talking about?” He asks. 

His face was still as straight as ever. “We haven’t talked about the importance of protection during sex, or my responsbility not to be swayed by my wild hormones. But I know exactly what you’ve been doing last night, I’m not stupid. Exactly at 2:10 am. Honestly, mother, father-” Salazar says, his voice turning concerningly into a hoity-toity one. 

“Salazar, where did you learn this?” Said teen stopped what he was doing at the blank tone of his mother’s voice. Because if there’s anyone scarier than his father, it would be his angry or irritated mother. Salazar slowly gulped down the bacon in his throat, not daring to look at the person in front of him. 

“I’m 16, mum.” 

“So…” Harry starts, Tom and Salazar exchange a look. A bead of sweat dropped from their forehead, however all their worries were all for naught. The only omega in the room's expressions changed and he was full of smiles. “I guess, we need to teach about that!” 

On a Saturday morning, his parents had “The Talk'' with him right then and there while he kept silent throughout the speech. Salazar just sat there, stabbing the fried egg with his silver fork, no longer having the appetite to eat any longer. 

Then came the “drug” talk and how bad it was. Frankly, they knew they didn’t need to. He was like Tom during the time he was this young. For some reason, he already knew about how sexual intercourse worked and understood fairly mature things that most teenagers his age wouldn’t. Almost like he has experienced many things despite the fact that it shouldn’t have been possible at all. 

By the time they were done, the sun was already up high in the sky. Salazar was impatiently tapping his foot against the wooden floor of the dining room and sulking. He knew where they were coming from of course and although he was in his kind-of rebellious phase- could it even be considered a rebellious phase? He very much still listened to his parents-, he knew better than to show his anger, unless he wanted to hurt his parents. Even if he was pissed and consistently, without any exceptions, thought about how much he hated them. At the end of the day, he knew his feelings would be the complete opposite. Salazar loved his parents very much, they were good people and the best parents he could have ever asked for, he didn’t want to hurt them, even if it was said in the heat of the moment. 

He locked the door, making sure his parents heard the loud click of his bedroom door. 

They didn’t bother him. The only knock he heard during that time was from his mother, telling him about dinner being ready. 

Dinner wasn’t actually awkward. 

It was fun seeing his parents banter- and sometimes even flirt ambiguously- with each other.

* * *

Salazar Riddle graduated with the highest grade, smugly beating his rival, Aurelius Dumbledore-Grindelwald, who had beaten him once, just ONCE though. And unlike his parents who took a degree in the arts, he took a degree in science. He knew it disappointed his parents that he wasn’t even remotely interested in arts and design, but they didn’t stop him taking a degree in something he actually liked, which was forensic science. It wasn’t like he didn’t intend to inherit the Voldemort museum anyway… it was his family’s (the Riddles) pride, of course he would take ownership of it. 

It wasn’t as if he was bad at art either. Although his grade in arts and design wasn’t as high as his grade in science and mathematics, it wasn’t his worst subject and he was quite good at it, gaining a lot of praises from his teachers. But that could be debatable if any of those were genuine or not. Salazar was Tom Riddle’s son, the infamous artist who took down a supermodel (yes, that was still relevant even after years). Of course his teachers would want to be on his good side. Especially his art teachers, who loved his ancestor’s paintings. 

His parents, like the artists they were, taught him how to draw, color theory and a lot of stuff that he could have learned attending an art school- but he didn’t need to, did he? How lucky of him-. His mother even passed down his family’s technique in pottery. It was a bit hard to do, but after a couple of hours desperately practicing and learning it, his hands became quite used to it. 

Salazar liked art, it would pretty much be blasphemous if he didn’t, but his interest in forensic science overpowered that. 

At the age of 28, he got a Master’s Degree in Science. His parents and maternal grandparents came to his graduation. His maternal grandparents were on their way to their 80th birthday, but they were still very strong and active. 

He was quickly accepted into a job firm, who wouldn’t take him in? With his unrealistically high grades and work ethic? As exhausting it was, it was a lot of fun for Salazar, especially with the support his parents gave him. 

And of course… even if he took on another degree. His interest in art didn’t diminish. During free time whenever he didn’t have anything important to do, he would paint and sometimes create something out of ceramic. This was pretty much the only reason why he wasn’t burnt out of doing work, work and work. 

And.. of course the dreaded family talk would be another thing.

* * *

Tom and Harry were both very proud of their son as just after his graduation and taking on a job, he was already making a name for himself in the industry. Not only that, Salazar clearly made it clear that he did want to take ownership of the Voldemort museum. His handling of the museum was quite admirable and he made it his responsibility to know each painting and the details. 

But they, well specifically Harry, were slightly worried… 

The thing was Salazar didn’t seem to be interested in anyone or actually having a family himself. At first, they weren't concerned about the fact that he didn’t have a crush- no seriously, he didn’t have any- it was in high school and Tom told him he was exactly like that. Even now, all of Salazar’s attention was consumed in work. Harry knew he had a lot of free time, so it wasn’t like he was too busy doing work. 

“Calm down, Harry.” 

Said omega stopped all of a sudden, looking confused at the completely relaxed alpha. 

They were now in their mid 50’s, but Tom still looked as handsome as he was in his prime years. He doubted anyone would believe him if he told them that his husband was 50 years old. Because other than a light stubble he had going on, at most he looked 30. 

Harry on the other hand… still looked like a kid. An exaggeration but it makes the point clearer. Omegas were infamous for the fact that some would barely age after their prime. When he was quite young, he would hope that he was one of these omegas with ‘powers’. But now, Harry just couldn’t believe that his prime age was 20 years old. Honestly, it was embarrassing that whenever he would spend time with Salazar in public, they would be mistaken as siblings. 

Tom found this amusing, but not when Harry and Salazar would be confused as a couple. His smug smirk would turn into a scowl immediately and it would his mate’s turn to be amused. 

“I am calm,” he says. 

“Doubtful,” Tom stared right into his husband’s eyes. “Don’t be so concerned about Salazar not marrying. He’s just 30 years old, he has many years ahead of him.”

Harry lets himself be held by his alpha, letting out a pleased purr when the taller man would brush his nose against their mating bond. 

“Now… darling. Stress isn’t a good look on your face.” He says against his omega’s ear, nipping at it affectionately right after. 

Harry smiled, tilting his head so his husband could have a better access to his neck. 

Honestly, they had been married for over 30 years and were quite old for some people’s standards, yet their desire for each other hadn’t lessened. If anything it seemed to have intensified. It was a miracle that after Salazar, they haven't gotten another child. Protection was a magical thing. 

Harry couldn’t believe their relationship began in the Voldemort museum. 

He was very thankful he met Tom and he knew Tom felt the same way. 

If they weren’t soulmates, they might as well have been because as far as they knew. Tom and Harry were made for each other. 

Like Yin and Yang. 

They contrasted each other and didn’t match together, but truthfully, they were two halves of each other. Without the dark, light wouldn’t exist. They completed each other like a jigsaw puzzle.

* * *

“It’s been five years, I can’t believe what you said about Cedric Diggory was true,” Harry says, laughing, remembering the time they ran away. Cedric didn’t try to find them. He felt a suspicion that his former fiance knew what Tom was to him. 

His eyes never strayed away from the clay he was morphing in his hands. It was one of those rare days where they would have the luxury of buying materials for pottery. Of course, Harry just couldn’t not start busying himself with it.

Tom smirks softly, “I told you, I’m always correct.” The sound of lead against paper never ceased as the alpha sketched, while the omega was kept busy doing pottery. 

He was born as an omega of noble birth, of high social standing and he always lived in luxurious houses. Never a poverty stricken place such as this. It had been hard for him to adjust but he had never felt more alive. Tom helped Harry and made sure he was as comfortable as possible with the limited supplies he had. As disgusted as he was living in pretty much dirt, he didn’t even think about going back to Cedric. And he made sure his soulmate knew this. 

Harry knew how strong Tom was, but that never meant he would never feel insecure. He was slightly screwed up in the head sometimes but he was still very much a human.

The first year was as awkward as it is for any new couples. They were the exact opposites of each other. 

Harry was a “snotty” noble omega while Tom was a “vulgar” peasant. How more opposite could they be? 

Harry could read and write, was well educated, knew many languages, knew which outfit is for which event, and knew how to act like the submissive omega he was expected to be. While Tom was illiterate, only really managing to mingle with nobles through his silver tongue and his charm, didn’t have a “sense of propriety”, didn’t really know what etiquette was, and didn’t know the purpose of changing out of clean clothes just for a ‘stupid’ event. 

However, they did have one thing in common. Their passion for art was something they shared. Mostly pottery for Harry and painting for Tom. It brought them closer as people. 

Both of them had many weaknesses and they helped each other make up for it. 

Harry taught the other man how to read and write until he was pretty much like a noble, even having the ability to read even the most unintelligible written letters. In exchange, Tom made sure Harry knew that his “knowledge of how omegas should act like” to be stupid and discriminatory until he changed his mentality. He had never felt so free from the constraints of the chains the nobility forcibly bound him with. 

Omegas weren’t defined by their gender and they shouldn't be restrained by it. Their second gender shouldn’t determine their future, it should be up to the individual to decide it. 

That was what Tom taught him.

Tom was the son of two beta farmers without the advantage of having education, instead he was forced into labor. While Harry was the son of a count, someone who was very educated and well off. He had a wide variety of opportunities that the other man didn’t have. Yet, Tom was the wisest of them. Ironic wasn’t it?

“What are you drawing?” He asks, not looking up from clay he was carefully moulding. 

“You,” Tom says, nonchalantly as Harry snorted. 

He finally looked up, smiling at the man sitting a few meters from him. “Really? Show me.” 

A few strokes from his stylus later, he finally looked satisfied enough and showed his sketch paper. The Harry in the painting was dipping his formerly tender hands into the clay while his messy hair was drawn in what seems to be chicken scratch. The sun was even sketched in the background as well as the countless clutter behind him, and of course the important ‘clutter’. The crucifixes Tom had insisted on hanging everywhere. But they were never detailed as Harry’s face, specifically his green eyes. The sketch was very messy and wasn’t coloured- although it wasn’t like his paintings were colourful either-, but he could already feel the strength the detail in the eyes produced. It made him shudder. 

Tom smiled at Harry’s expression. “I present you, the Potterer.”

* * *

Tom stared at his husband’s peaceful, sleeping face. He could stare at him for days and he was sure he wouldn’t ever get tired of it. 

He loved every moment, even the arguments sometimes, that he spent with Harry. He wouldn’t trade it for anything even if he met the Harry from the past. Tom still loved him, but was it wrong to love someone else and finally move on from what is essentially centuries of mourning? 

Harry suddenly laughed, causing Tom to smile slightly. “ _The Potterer really? Could have called it a version of my name._ ” 

He knew that his omega sleep talks, but the most he would hear were soft murmurs. This was the first time he actually heard something coherent and loud. 

Although they did sound familiar. He thought about it with a smile on his face but it immediately dropped the moment he remembered where it came from. 

The sketch of Harry he kept, the source of his motivation. 

Tom’s heart stopped and the room turned cold.

There was a part that hoped that this Harry and the other Harry from the past were the same person but he never really entertained it after their first meeting. He didn’t want to fall in love with Harry based on a possibly foolish hunch. 

He pulled his sleeping mate’s body closer to him, kissing his forehead. 

But did it really matter? 

No, of course not. 

Even if Harry wasn’t the same Harry he met in the past that wouldn’t change anything. Nor would it if he was actually him. 

Tom couldn’t describe the love he felt for Harry, even if he could, it wouldn’t do it justice. 

_Voldemort was a famous renaissance artist, not only was he a painter but also a sculptor._

His real name was Tom Riddle and he had been married in all but legality to the one depicted in the Potterer painting.

**F I N**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, before you ignore this long fucken note. I just wanted to say thank you for all those who stayed until this very last chapter. This sounds very overdramatic, but this is my first finished multi-chapter fic, so I'm allowed to sound dramatic lmfao.
> 
> I wanted to make it clear that Tom didn’t love Harry because of the Harry in the past. I don’t know why but I keep thinking of people who haven’t gotten over their exes, so they purposely chose someone who’s similar to them (the ex) to date and not because they actually like them- do you get what I’m saying? I’m sure it doesn’t apply here because current Harry and the past one ARE the same person. But it kind of does (????) because Harry doesn’t remember anything, other than the dreams. Hopefully that made sense. And hopefully the fact that Harry doesn’t remember shit ending is fine. 
> 
> This fic is kind of about having the ability to move on, even if the one who the person lost was someone very important to them. So, while yes the wound would always still be there, life WILL always continue. People can survive it and love again. <\- this is 3 am rambling, but I’ll leave it in lmfao
> 
> #1: Tom and Harry were supposed to ‘date after the drug’ incident. But I ended up moving it. Hopefully, the relationship didn't come out of nowhere. 
> 
> #3: The ending of the epilogue was supposed to be a scene where Tom and Harry were 100 years old or so, about to die while lying on their deathbed. Then Tom finally finds out about Harry from the past and this Harry was the same person.  
> But I thought, why? I didn’t want to really kill them off, even if it’s technically a good ending. Also hopefully, the fact that Harry technically doesn’t remember who Tom is isn’t too disappointing lmfao.
> 
> #4: Harry is an atheist while the past Harry was agnostic. Tom does believe in the existence of God, so he isn’t an atheist, but he chooses not to practice worshipping because he was still scarred by the previous incident. 
> 
> #5: Date Rape Drug incident; I never said why Harry was “unaffected” by the drug. Kind of a bullshit excuse but it was because the “soulmate connection” Tom & Harry had. It nullified any “hard” “strong” effects the drug had after Tom came to the scene. The original excuse was because of a heat suppressant Harry uses. 
> 
> #6: The religion thing wasn’t originally in my original idea of this, I added it in the final edit.


End file.
